Open letter to the great Indian hacker: Get over Sunny Leone

Mighty hackers of India,

First thing I’d like to say is that I am a huge fan of the modern resurgence of righteous hacking with hacking groups like Anonymous. Waging a full-blown war on ISIS, as few countries have dared, the hacking community has made some credible dents into the ISIS administration, and continue to do so, proving that not all hacking need be unethical even if it be criminal.

On the usual demonic side of hacking stands ISIS' release of the "hitlist" of 70 American military officials two days ago, urging sympathisers to "kill them wherever they are". They also claimed to have a mole in the ministry of defence in UK, and warned against their growing presence and preparation in Britain and Europe.

Also read: After cricket defeats, South Africa is losing to porn

While these may not be the best examples of the ethicality of hacking, they are damn good examples of the reach and impact, justifying the terrifying connotations of the word "hacker" we have come to loathe and fear. That also, I must admit when it stops being spine-chillingly terrifying, is crime-thriller level cool.

Meanwhile Indian hackers have busied themselves vandalising the HRD ministry or some other official page with naked pictures of Sunny Leone. Or hacking a 100 Pakistani websites, according to a Mail Today story, only to leave childish threats like, "Feel the power of Indian, don't dare to mess with us, otherwise Kashmir toh hoga lekin Pakistan nahi hoga, [otherwise there will still be Kashmir but no Pakistan]," in response to a hack on Mohan Lal’s website by Pakistani hackers.

Also read: Five things we learned from 'cheating website' hacking scandal

Now I mean no disrespect, but it seems like India’s famed cyber-intelligent community has so many competent hackers that some of us find ourselves doing hacks that, strictly, don’t need to be done and make no point. A naked picture of Sunny Leone? Really, guys and girls? What did you do – hack a Sunnny Leone porno flick?

I only point this out because a country that has now produced Google’s CEO and Microsoft’s CEO and mass-exports students of Computer Science to the West every year should really have more work to show in the indigenous "Hack in India" campaign. Also, it's not like there isn’t anything to hack.

For example, if imagination of what to hack is the limiting factor here, then let’s say, the economic caste-census data, hypothetically, is a great place to start. The nation’s been waiting for it since the 2011 census; many including giants like P Sainath and politicians like Lalu Prasad Yadav and JD(U) president have previously laid stress on the governmenr’s reluctance to release the idea while the government insists it takes time to collate the data.

If released, the numbers could hit hard at the government’s Hindutva agenda like the aftermath of the Mandal Comission’s reports. It’s data that could almost single-handedly shake the Hindutva juggernaut, and I want my beloved and respected Indian hackers to deal this blow to the establishment, Die Hard Style.

This, I think, would be a worthy assignment for hackers of our alleged cyber-prowess, or is it all just an urban myth? I, for one, am that fan that believes somewhere, some of you (hopefully Indians) are working on this, or details of Swiss Bank Accounts with Kaala-dhan(too tough, eh?) as your weekend projects, and leaving kiddish activities like trash-talk and vandalised home-pages to the Pakistani hackers. Rise up and set the bar, you know.

Waiting for some numbers going public, cementing the mighty Indian hacker, the next Indian Snowden(s), into history.

Sincerely,

A hopeful fan

PS: Please don’t hack my Facebook. My cat is very image-conscious. Thank you.