Alien idea
Sir — Privacy is an alien concept in India. Be it surveillance by the State or the relatively harmless snooping by one’s next-door neighbour, Indians are used to other people keeping an eye on their affairs. But WhatsApp has told the Delhi High Court that it will exit India if it is forced to break end-to-end encryption on its app as this will compromise its users’ privacy. However, can WhatsApp stop the prying eyes of co-passengers in a Metro compartment? A study once showed that as many as 57% of parents monitor — or at least try to — the activities of their wards through mobile phones. WhatsApp’s end-to-end encryption is no match for the prying Indian parent.
Roshni Das, Calcutta
Trust the machine
Sir — The Supreme Court of India has turned down a bunch of public interest litigations seeking a return to paper ballots in the ongoing general elections (“EVMs get top court’s vote”, April 27). The court upheld the credibility of the electronic voting machines and encouraged a wider use of voter verifiable paper audit trail systems. This verdict comes as a blow to the Opposition, which has repeatedly accused the ruling dispensation of rigging the EVMs.
Moreover, it does not take into account voter feedback — in Manipur, for instance, EVMs were allegedly set ablaze. In other states, VVPATs did not reflect the votes that were cast and, in places, unknown people forced their way into the polling booth. All these incidents cannot be mere glitches. They raise questions about the impartiality of the Election Commission of India. As a voter, I expect the EC and the apex court to keep a close eye on the election process and ensure free and fair elections.
Aayman Anwar Ali, Calcutta
Sir — While upholding the credibility of EVMs and rejecting a return to paper ballots, the Supreme Court has issued a significant guideline to ensure fairness in the polling process. On a written request from candidates finishing second or third in a constituency, 5% of the control unit, ballot unit and the VVPATs of that constituency shall be verified by a team of engineers for any tampering or modification. Never before has a defeated candidate had the opportunity of having the EVMs checked after the declaration of results. This is a step that can counter charges of EVM tampering. But the checking should be done by independent organisations. The company manufacturing the machines are unlikely to admit that they can be tampered with.
Goutam Narayan Deb, Calcutta
Sir — A former chief election commissioner is on record saying that EVMs should be done away with as they are susceptible to tampering and hacking. Why did the Supreme Court not take this view into account while upholding the use of EVMs in the elections? The EC should conduct a plebiscite to find out if people want to return to paper ballots. The verdict will help the BJP in the ongoing Lok Sabha polls.
Manoharan Muthuswamy, Ramnad, Tamil Nadu
Sir — The petitions for reviving paper ballots have rightly been dismissed by the Supreme Court. Although doubts persist about the EVMs, bringing back an old and cumbersome system is not the solution to that. But increasing the percentage of VVPAT slips that are cross-verified might be helpful. It is not machines but the humans who handle the machines that cannot be trusted.
D.V.G. Sankara Rao, Vizianagaram
Sir — One hopes that the issue of EVM tampering will be laid to rest with the Supreme Court’s verdict. The Opposition will do better to channel its energy in the right direction and highlight the BJP’s failures rather than cry wolf about the EVMs.
Bal Govind, Noida
Spot the difference
Sir — Columbia University has become the epicentre of student-led protests against Israel in the United States of America. In a fitting response to clashes between students and the police there (“Police, students clash on US campuses”, April 27), Jawaharlal Nehru University has risen to the occasion to express its solidarity (“JNU sends a shoutout to US”, April 27). What is common between the world’s oldest democracy and the world’s largest democracy is that the college administrators in both countries have resorted to coercive means to shut down protests and snatch academic freedom. The remarkable difference is that while the authorities have faced significant criticism and pushback in the US, in India such violations are allowed to continue.
Jahar Saha, Calcutta
Regular reminders
Sir — The editorial, “Too hot to handle” (April 27), rightly expressed doubts about whether climate change is dictating voters’ choices in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. Climate change is a complex collection of phenomena with many moving parts. Having its fullest measure means taking a broad view of events evolving across space and time. This makes it difficult to impress the widespread and all-pervasive impact of climate change on voters, who often lose track of it. It is incumbent on the media and journalists to keep reminding voters of it.
Tathagata Sanyal, Birmingham, UK
