A ticking democracy

Democracy in India has fascinated the West and has been envied by other Third World societies. Within the country itself, we tend not to give the matter too much thought except believing that our political system is such that it makes us blunder along without slipping too hard.

Democracy in India has fascinated the West and has been envied by other Third World societies. Within the country itself, we tend not to give the matter too much thought except believing that our political system is such that it makes us blunder along without slipping too hard. Those concerned with purity and pollution of the voting process — and who can deny that booth-grabs still flourish? — seriously held our democracy was a sham. Well, the cynics can continue doing their business while the people of India do theirs. The truth is that the people of this country love to cast their vote — and, in many places, risk their life and limb to do so.

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This attachment to the ballot was confirmed last week when the first phase of the election to constitute the 14th Lok Sabha was held in some of the most violence-prone parts of the country. Despite terrorist threats, it is now official that Tripura reported a 70 per cent voter turn-out. The Maoists, too, had little impact. In Baramullah in Kashmir — with pre-poll violence creating a real scare — the voting was considerably higher than in the assembly election of 2002, which was a high watermark.

India does not appear to be a place where people rise up in revolt when denied their vote by the rulers, but they wreak vengeance on those rulers at the first voting opportunity. This is a clear and perhaps only sign that democracy, despite warts and all, is alive and well in this country.