Can EVMs really be hacked ?

There have been tremendous suspicion over the operation and reliability of the electronic voting machines in India, in the recent past, particularly by the AAAM AADMI PARTY including the Congress, SP and BSP who had time and again levelled allegations of alleged tempering on BJP in Gujarat, UP and other state elections and the media too had highlighted the issue after investigating the possibilities threadbare.

However, the election commission of India has outrightly denied and rejected the apprehension of the opposition parties of the country as baseless and imaginative. It is usually believed that may be, some of the machines may have gone faulty but usually it’s not the case as the EVMs are fully tested and ensured completely transparent having no chances of being tempered with by anybody. But giving an open rebuff to the Election Commission’s assurances of non tempering chances of EVM ever, a whatsapp message being circulated these days says that it has been amply established that these machines can be hacked any time thusallegedly bringing election results in one’s favour.

According to a whatsaap message with a Washington date line the report reveals that the scientists of an American University have invented a system to technically hack the Indian Electronic Voting Machine. However, I can’t confirm the veracity and authenticity of the post which says that the researchers of Mishigan University of America had been successful in changing or modifying the results of EV machine by sending the mobile phone message.

These scientists or researchers had finally shown how the EVM can be successfully hacked. The Americans have shown, how conveniently can they hack the EVM and influence the election results thus literally shaking the roots of Indian democracy. It may be recalled that there had been ample allegations and accusations on the ruling BJP led NDA influencing the election results by tempering with the EVMs in several states though the Election Commision of India had termed them rubbish and had outrightly denied of any possibility of the misuse of the electronic voting machines thus putting to rest the entire controversy.

However the whatsapp post in Hindi says that the researchers of Mishigan university have posted a vedio in internet which showed a small indeginously created chip connected with the India electronic voting machine. The leader of the American research team of Mishigan university J. Alex Healtherman said that with the help of the device (chip) after sending the message from a mobile phone, the results of the EVM can be changed or effected. If it’s really so, it needs to be investigated in order to put the apprehensions / rumours,or unauthent8c reports , if any, to rest.
SUNIL NEGI