Hyderabad: When V Hari Prasad, the man behind the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) tampering fiasco, said he deliberately displayed the EVM number on the TV in order to show that the original machine was tampered with, was he at the right or wrong side of ethics? Should he be allowed to go scot free?
Well he is not done yet. Prasad announced in a press conference that he would continue to fight his battle against the EVMs, which the Election Commission of India asserts are tamper-proof. Prasad added that he had done no wrong and had just highlighted the flaws in the EVMs.
Well he is not done yet. Prasad announced in a press conference that he would continue to fight his battle against the EVMs, which the Election Commission of India asserts are tamper-proof. Prasad added that he had done no wrong and had just highlighted the flaws in the EVMs.
This came after he was arrested for the alleged theft of an EVM. He was kept in the police custody for eight days. While he denied stealing the EVM, he said, "someone came to me and asked me to show how an EVM could be tampered with." He claims that he returned the machine within 3-4 hours after displaying how the device can be tampered with and added that this was filmed and telecast on a private news channel.
Prasad went on to request the techies of the nation to raise their voices and expose the EVM flaws.
Reacting to his arrest, he said, "I am unfazed and instead I am more inspired to continue the battle against the vulnerablilty of EVMs and will be in continuous touch with the Election Commission of India (ECI)."
While the mud slacking is expected to continue from the both sides, the question here is whether Prasad's action be taken under law, or will he be given the tag of an ethical hacker and set free?
Reader's comments
1: Hari Prasad did a great job and should be applauded, not penalised. Rama Ann is right that there are corrupt politicians everywhere, but in India corruption is far deeper and is there in every organisation.
People like Hari Prasad are required to change things here
Posted by: Suresh Dorbala -
2:Hi suresh dorballa
Election commission is independant of politicians and parties just like supreme court is.In this case your statement ""but in India corruption is far deeper and is there in every organisation. "" can u plz tell me about corruption in this particular case please.
Also he has made a mockery with a duplicate or whatever EVM machine live on a Tv and cliams he is only showing faults .I live in australia,,imagine me going on a TV channel like 9 or 7 and doing a demo about vulnerabilities in a bank like Commonwealth bank or Anz or NAB .Iam sure the banks will call police immediately and charge me as simple as that .Even in USA if u try the same you will be arrested iam 100 percent sure ,,here in australia ,,various breached have been reported in the media,,but it does not mean one can go live on Tv WITH it.
Also if you are in Gulf airport and utter a word in a wrong way ,,you will be sent to jail straighaway ,,and then court .If in thailand ,,you will be arrested for any slander on monarchy.Why should Election Commission of India ,,whose property ,,duplicate machine or whatever be shown on the live TV ,,that is a mockery on indian democarcy ,,and he should be arrested ,,just not him ,,even the foreigners also .Iam 100 percent on this instance.
rama anne
syd australia
rama anne replied to: Suresh Dorbala
3: Now Government should open eye and stop this dirty politics.
4:dear Indian
you need to get educated mate.indian govt and election commission of india are independant ,,election commission can call police directly and they have all the power to do so ,,as it was their machine ,,the EVM and live on a TV
you just cannot do it ,,first arrest him ,,which is correct
rama anne
syd australia
rama anne replied to: Indian
5: Hari Prasad must be released immediately. If any body wants to talk of ethics then the same is applicable to EC. What is ethics of EC, using vulnerable techniques and fooling people?
Posted by: Chitraa - 01 Sep, 2010
6:Hi Chitraa
how do u think ec using vulnerable techniques ,,it is independant of Govt Of India .Hari prasad has made a mockery of it by going live on a TV with a machine(whatever it is) iam 100 percent convinced he is under fault.I can make a duplicate of a bank card or something similar ,,does not mean I go live and do a demo defintely not
rama anne
syd australia
rama anne replied to: Chitraa
7: Hari Prasad has just exposed the vulnerablities of EVM. If he had any wrong intentions...he would have approached any political party and they would have bribed him with enough money to help them in next elections. Everybody already knows how corrupt leaders are and they can go to any extent to secure wins in elections...they are just not concerned about the country. However Hari just exposed the EVM faults in open. It was the right thing to do because had he approached any govt agency regarding this...they would have just covered the case as it is as if nothing ever happened. So he is absolutely right and justified in his manner.
Posted by: Kapil Thakur
8:hi Kapil Thakur
you are a bit out of touch and see things in a negative way.You have generalized all and everyone ,,fortunately we have some very good people in Indian politics like Dr Manmohan Singh,,sri Sheila Dikshit,,sri Nandan Nilkenni,,sri Jyothi Raditya Scindia,,sri L.K Advani,,sri Brinda Karat,,sri Jayaprakash Narayan(Loksatta party),,sri Sitaram Yechury etc.
I live in australia ,,and I have discovered here too there are corrupt people in offices,,and in politics too and Iam sure it is the case through out the world.You are a bit way too critical only about indian politicians which is not correct.Also he is a techical guy does not give him right to take a machine and do a demo on live tv.
rama anne
syd australia
rama anne replied to: Kapil Thakur
9: Jai Ho Bharth Ki, Mera Bharath Mahan. There is nothing Right or Wrong. Good or Bad, it is all our thinking make it so if you do not believe this, then you will be made to believe as we see in Media today they feature IPL, IT raid and tomorrow they show action has been initiated against and either the person is mission or the reports are gone or the evidences are lost .Let us not name people. We know where we stand in honesty, corruption levels world at large and in India in particular. The EVM prone to fraud has been in news over years, not the first time. We better close our eyes and go on, when Great Bishma remained a mute witness to the Draupathi stripping, we too. Since nothing else could be done, whether the fact remains EVEM is fraudulent in use and counting in US or India. Let things go on, we remain silent observers and pass on , why to invite wrath of the vested interest parties , and then none will rescue us .What happened to the BBC exposure of Cricket Match fixing in news. Today news is underworld has threatened the players families .Do not imagine we are in ram rajya we are in ravana rajya all over the world. None on the earth can raise a voice against any seasoned politician, or political party or the so called underworld ruling the world over engaged in making easy money, extortions and black mail. For them it is only a cinematic approach to eliminate people, reports in no time the evidences too. Where is the question of our showing a demo to election commission , who have been permitted to approve those EVMS by the ruling parties themselves .Let us be calm and have faith in God almighty , There four stages in man’s life , boyhood, youth, middle age, old age, so too, there are four stages of his acquisition of wisdom
1.To be trained by parents, teachers, elders, being led, guided, regulated, warned, reprimanded.
2.To be eager to establish happiness and justice in society, to know the world, it’s worth and values.
3.To pour out energies to reform, reconstruct the human community
4.The realization that the world is beyond redemption by human effort, that one can at best save oneself.
Posted by: RVGIYER
10:Dear Sir, I beg your pardon on your philosophy but if everyone starts feeling like you then this world will finish a million years before it is slated to. What I feel is the guy in question has done the right thing the wrong way. Owning an EVM is illegal in the first place. Second doing R&D on it without due permission from the Govt. is another fault. Third hiding the identity of the person who brought the EVM is the third fault. He would have been better off if he had approached the Election Commission first along with the press.
11: dear rajesh
thank you for rescue ,,this RGVIyer is eating brains ,,everytime ,,he was there on other issues,,his name is not RGVIyer but something else rama anne
syd australia
12:Dear RVGIYER
It is not true ,,in the name of religion ,,some evil people are masquerading that is with a flawed opinions like some religion is real or superior.Also to spread the version they think is correct ,,they are also twisting religious texts and
making people gullible ,,with some cash benefits.God spoke of empowerment ,,so that every human can live in dignity ,,which they are not allowing ,,a job ,,a place to live ,,and lead a peaceful life,,and then make a choice about his or her religion,,but if such basic needs are not met in the first place,,the exploitation continues ,,be it religiously,,politically,,or any way.
God also says to act but to remain silent is also a crime ,,not just against humanity but also against God ,,for God lives in every human being ,,and God wants to help others through you and me.Mere prayer and doling out philosophy is also against both god and humanity as the human becomes a party to injustice.
RVGIyer if and when we have means to help others ,,be it through education,,housing,,etc we should help.By doling out your philosophy ""To be trained by parents, teachers, elders, being led, guided, regulated, warned, reprimanded""
but this can also happen when teachers are good ,,play a teacher role ,,not a politician role,or a cunning Foxy role with a jackal like attitude under the guise of a tiger skin.
2.""To be eager to establish happiness and justice in society, to know the world, it’s worth and values.""
to do these things you need to be of a good heart to start with .the question ""how pure is your heart"" ""do you pray for yourself every morning and ignore the world or attend to a fellow human being before you pray"" God likes people who attend to others before attending to himself.
3.""To pour out energies to reform, reconstruct the human community"" this is what precisely I am doing and asking olters to do as well.
4.""The realization that the world is beyond redemption by human effort, that one can at best save oneself."" false not true Lord Krishna says to think about him and he will save you
I also believe by the way you posted your message on this forum your name is not even RVGIyer and Iam 100 percent sure so please stop your philosophy and conserve it ,,at this point is not appropriate
thanks
rama anne
13: Dear Editor
Hari Prasad is not an ethical hacker.He has voilted the Indian law ,,if he is concerned ,,he should have demonstrated to the Election Commission of India ,,I come from Hyderabad ,,and iam an engineer too ,,by profession,,he has defintely made a mockery of the Election commission ,,by going live on a Tv channel,,there are other avenues to pursue ,,if he is serious ,,like courts ,,and also two other foreign nationals should have been charged too.Iam in australia ,,now ,,imagine ,,i do the same here ,,on a TV channel Live ,,like how to break a bank network,,something like it.Every one needs to question this aspect first .Also depending where you are it will be even more serious like Gulf,,China ,,even in USA too he will be charged as well.there is no other country on the face of the earth that will tolerate such an act against ,,Iam India and I will not tolerate ,,such a mockery on My Indian constitution,,its laws,,its currency ,,its election machines.
I want to ask him the following:
1.he should have met both major political parties congress,BJP and the left and briefed them about his concerns
2.he should have then taken up the matter with election commisisoner and did a demo in the presence of major political leaders or their reps .
3.Only when he succeeds in convincing everyone in the meeting there is an issue to worry about ,,could it be briefed to media ,,and the ec can announce steps to safeguard
4.None of these steps are taken ,, so I can say clearly ,,he along ,,with his colleagues ,,has broken law,,and the foreigners need to be extradited ,,the election commission should file a case in the indian court against them.
5.Just because ,,a ten ruppe can be forged,,does not mean ,,i can go live on TV and do a demo of it no way.I urge silicon india to stop publishing this article again and again .Also there are enemies of India from hostile neighbours ,,who are taking this as an opportunity and post mesages ,,so just a few post messages ,,does not mean anything as Silicon India does not check identity or origin of the person who posts comments.Such issues are best decided inside india as it is India sensitive
rama anne
syd australia
14:I would request Rama Anne from Sydney to come to India and try out the same by the procedures mentioned by her.
I bet that she can never do this, in particular with the political leaders.
Guru replied to: rama anne
15: Hi Guru
iam he ,,it is not true ,,india has changed a lot ,,current UPA govt has a cabinet that consists of graduates from Harvard,,Stanford,,Delhi University,Cambridge etc .
The point is there are well educated and good people like Sam Pitroda ,,Nandan Nilkenni,,Jyotiraditya Scindia,,Jaypaual Reddy,,Sheila Dikshit,,Sri Advani,,Sri Murali Manohar Joshi,,Sri Brinda Karat etc.
I want to give an example Sam Pitroda came all the way from USA to get an appointment with Sri Late Indira Gandhi ,,he could get only five minutes after three months ,,but he insisted that he has a plan for Indian telecom sector,,and he wants atleast 30 minutes or no appointment at all .Then seeing his strong will ,,her PA gave 30 minutes ,,the meeting in which both sri Rajiv and sri Indira attended and rest is history.You can check these facts with Sam Pitroda or from any source ,,and that was in two decades or more ago.Union Govt of India realizes the issues and Iam sure ,,if intention is good ,,he could have met ,,someone from ruling party or opposition in New Delhi.Iam sure it will be the same case if I wanted to meet politicians in Australia,,uk,,usA
regards
rama anne
16: We respect his knowledge, But the way this operation carried out is not legal & ethical.
He could have sent his report to government to review or had released to media without sharing the sensitive information.
By exposing everything to the world,he made the devices more vulnerable.
I also have doubt over his research, he replaced machines 7 segment display which can be manipulated wireless. I dont think this can take place in real life.No party worker can have so much access.
His website concludes that EVM should be scrapped & replaced by paper based system. If these people are genuine scientist then they would have suggested more secured system rather than scrapping them...
But yeh it hurts when we see geeks,scientists behind bars...
Abhi
17:Mr. Hari Prashad looks to have done the right thing.This would be an eye opener for the Government & they can put up most stringent security in EVMs.....The legal procedure told by my fellow colleagues is right but it is too much time consuming........Please tell me who(Common man in particular) has the time or resources on this face of Earth to go to ministers & convince them for doing something.......Taking the course of media is the right thing & a quick fix.....We can read the above news only because the person approached the media......otherwise who knows what could have happened..?
inderpreet replied to: Abhi
18: Hi indrepreet
Sam Pitroda came all the way from USA two decades to get an audience with late sri Indira Gandhi and Rajiv and he did it ushered telecom revolution with C-DOT.
not in this case ,,hari prasad was not alone ,,he was well fundeed ,,and has two colleagues from USA ,,who were present or coordinated with him.So comparing a common man to Hari Prasad does not make sense.I do not think in this case NEW Delhi is not accessible ,,not in this instance.
Common man of india works hard,,eats ,,goes to sleep,,and starts all over ,,waiting for a better india ,,where his children will have a brighter future ,,he is not thinking of consiparcies or thoeries,,he has a heart of gold and very sincere
rama ane
syd australia
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