Democracy survives through democratic exercise

This month, large parts of India head to the polls. April marks one of the busiest periods in the electoral calendar, with several states and union territories moving into polling phases, bye-elections, and local body contests.

India conducts the largest elections in the world. In the 2019 general elections, over 90 crore people were eligible to vote - a number larger than the population of most continents. To manage this scale, the Election Commission of India set up more than 10 lakh polling stations and deployed millions of officials and security personnel.

In some parts of India, polling teams walk long distances through dense forests and across terrain without roads, crossing streams and trekking for hours, sometimes days, to reach even a small group of voters. Interestingly, for this year’s Tamil Nadu Assembly election, a polling booth will be established at Vellimalai in Varusanadu to help just five voters exercise their franchise.

India adopted universal adult franchise with the adoption of the Constitution in 1950, granting every citizen above the age of 21 the right to vote, regardless of caste, gender, education, or wealth. At the time, this was a bold decision. The country had low literacy rates and deep social divisions, yet its leaders chose inclusion.This stands in contrast to several established democracies. In the United States, the world’s oldest democracy, universal and enforceable voting rights came into force only in 1965, after decades of legal and structural barriers.

Voting is one part of civic responsibility. Staying informed, questioning policies, and holding elected representatives accountable between elections are just as important. Participation does not end at the ballot box.

edexlive.com