Opinion View from the right

It adds: “ The recent spate of articles published in reputed computer-engineering magazines and the international press has raised doubts about the integrity of EVMs. It will not be hard,according to experts,to plant a parallel programme under another password on one or many voting machines that would,before voters arrived at the polling stations,ensure a pre-determined outcome.”

It concludes: “Several high courts in the country are hearing PILs on EVMs. And a PIL has reached the Supreme Court also. What is now proved convincingly is that EVMs are not protected against rigging and the EC has not made it tamper-proof in spite of clinching evidence to that effect. It is not a bad idea for the EC to call an all-party meeting on the subject and review suggestions for restoring the credibility of the electoral system.”

Whose martyrs?

A news item titled “History of black day” says: “‘Martyrs day’ is the first organised violence against the Kashmiri Pandits by the then Muslim Conference of Kashmir. July 13,1931,is linked with some heartrending happenings,which were the outcome of the conspiracy hatched by the imperialists who had created a communal frenzy to create hurdles on the path of achieving Independence.

The originator of July 13 incident was one Abdul Qadir who was not even a resident of the state and had come from Peshawar to Kashmir with a British high-up staying in Kashmir and his highly provocative speeches resulted in communal hostility. So he was arrested and charged with inciting communal passions. When the trial began on July 8,1931,the majority community of the Valley took to streets in large numbers. Fearing riots,the administration discontinued the open trial and decided to continue it in Central Jail”.

The news item adds: “On July 13,when the trial was to restart,a huge crowd gathered. As the mob was not allowed to enter the jail premises,it turned violent and attacked minority Hindus,plundered their shops and looted their properties. When the situation went out of control,the state administration resorted to the use of the armed forces and in the firing some hoodlums from the rioting mob were killed. The Muslim Conference,now National Conference,declared them ‘martyrs’ of Kashmir”.