Right to Vote

Introduction

At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom. On 15^th August, 1947 India was free from the oppressing 200-year colonial rule. And was asseverat as a democratic state. Thus, it began an extensive 2 year-long journey to the first-ever general election of the infant democracy. The whole world was awaiting for this. Between 25^th October 1951 to 21^st February 1952 India came together to elect a government. It was of the people, by the people, and for the people. It was always crystal clear in the minds of Constitution makers that they need to adopt Universal Adult Franchise. They want to grant every eligible citizen according to Universal Adult Suffrage the Right to Vote.

Figuratively speaking voting is a way of coming to a common decision. In the process of the election we decide and choose representatives who would be fit for the office. But voting is much more intense than that. From the most privilege of the society to the least privilege of the society, Voting is a weapon in the hands of everyone. By choosing the right represents an individual remotely can get him heard, his rights safeguarded and his needs fulfilled.

Voting is a way to get the government work and root out the social evils. Like corruption, Illiteracy, Increasing crime rate, poverty, etc. It’s simple every 5 years the government holding office becomes accountable. It has to answer for the work they did and how they contribute to the growth of the country. If they can’t answer they won’t be elected for the next term and who wants that. Voting is a responsibility and if one thinks about a bright future, then he must take this seriously.

History

Electoral democracy was first in the list of priorities for an independent India. The quest of representing every citizen through right to vote start way before Independence when Nehru submit The Motilal Nehru Report of 1928. He advocate that adoption of Universal Adult Suffrage is the need of the hour. India was still under British Raj this idea was widely criticize. They were adamant to the fact that the universal Adult Franchise was not the right fit for India. Also the earlier classification of voters was accurate. As it consist of people affluent in society because of their status, income, education, etc.

The prevailing rule for electoral representation was not based on individuals voting for their representatives and who they want to elect but on the communities and groups. India did have separate electorates but the seats were allot based on property, gender, and education. Dr. BR Ambedkar in 1928 also came before the Simon Commission to advocate the practice of Adult Suffrage. He found a partner in Nehru. The wave nationalism, anti-colonialism and Universal Adult Suffrage was already on the move. But still, most of the constitutional thinkers think of the idea as impractical and unmanageable as after the incorporation there was massive 5 fold increase in the electoral poll of which more than 85% people were illiterate and had never vote in their lifetime.

In 1931 Karachi session of Indian National Congress, adopt a resolution on Human Rights and Economic Policy. It already has Universal Adult Franchise. But again the British officials didn’t support it but under the last legal framework in their regime i.e. The Government of India Act, 1935 incorporate a little more than 30 million voters. This is 1/5^th of the adult population.

Transition from Colonial Rule to Independent State

It wasn’t an easy task to be an Independent country, to be left in the worst possible shape by the Britishers, and to start from nothing. With no possible experience in administration and working, India was writing its destiny. India on the day of its independence was amidst a partition which was breaking boundaries as well as people. Around 18 million people displacing and almost 1 million dying from it, with the work of integrating 552 princely states in the boundaries of India. Also with all this happening, the drafting of an electoral poll which would turn all adult Indians to eligible voters, it was an outlandish imagination. But the bureaucrats were resolute in giving electoral democracy to India. Thus, in November 1947 India began the journey of making the first draft of the electoral poll. It is based on Universal Adult Franchise.

The electoral set up by British officials was a hoax. It was a means of co-opting ruling elites and strengthening the colonial rule. In fact it was in 1935 that British officials increase the number of voters to 30 million. The complex preparatory job of election span for more than 2 years, before the stupendous task was assign to the first chief election commissioner of India in March 1950. It was manage by a small bureaucratic body “The Constituent Assembly Secretariat” working closely under Dr. B.N. Rao.

This interim group was at the forefront for all the questions of the adult Indians; who were illiterate, poor, and even were voting for the first time in their lives. The group had to deal with language barriers; they had to make sure that 85% of voting Indians coming from modest backgrounds understand the meaning of voting; a democratic state, and most importantly the weapon they were holding. It was the work in their hands to inculcate national unity. And make the voters feel that they are to actively take part in the future of India.

The preparation of electoral roll was a bold operation and through this operation a sense of belongingness towards India, as well as the idea of Universal Franchise and electoral democracy, was deeply grounded. The first electoral draft was ready before the constitution and the people became voters before citizens. This electoral process made engagement mandatory by every sect and gender of the society. Doing such an act became India’s first answer to decolonization and new beginnings. Now there was no legacy of colonization but a legacy of standing on its own feet. India imagine, act and made Universal Franchise their reality. And by the late 1949 push open the gates to a truly electoral democratic state.

Why Vote?

For years now we are known to the fact that the democratic fabric of India is being torn bit by bit, and often our reply to this complaint is in regard to the behavior of politicians, their policies. We are enrage when topics like corruption, poverty, unemployment, terrorism, etc. are talk about. We want a bright future for ourselves as well as our country. But we just can’t participate in the simple act of voting which decides the future of our country. A simple yet powerful way for change is voting when a person casts a vote keeping in mind all that the political party and its representatives have done, we choose a better future, we take part in the working of our country and of course. This was the idea behind incorporating Universal Adult Franchise.

Nehru in his report stated that the colonial notion of ‘keeping the number of votes within reasonable bound’ for practical difficulty ‘howsoever great has to be faced’[1]. There is a reason that our freedom fighters fight for the rights of women and equal representation of every community by giving every eligible adult a right to vote a process that was imaginary but took 2 years to complete. We need to understand that every vote counts and that if you are not casting the vote for the right representative an ineligible candidate is winning. That ineligible candidate has reached office and is now ruling over you because you didn’t cast a vote for the right one and chose to stay at home with the notion that one or two vote can’t change the fate of India.

Getting India ready for the first general election was the first act of destroying the colonial legacy and every time one doesn’t cast a vote he/ she is letting the hard work go in vain. Nehru also mentioned in his report that ‘any artificial restriction on the right to vote in a democratic constitution is an unwarranted restriction on democracy itself’[2] and here we are after more than 70 years of Independence self-imposing the restriction to vote.

Who Can Vote?

According to Article 326, the election to the House of People and Legislative Assembly of every state would be done according to Universal Suffrage.[3]

• Every citizen enrolled in the voter list.
• Every citizen 18 years old[4] as on the qualifying date (January 1 of the year) is eligible to be enrolled, irrespective of gender, caste, religion, etc.
• Any citizen not disqualified under Constitution or any other law enacted by the appropriate legislature on the grounds of nonresidence, unsoundness of minds, crime or corrupt or illegal practice.[5]
• Any oversees Indian deemed to be ordinarily resident at the address given in passport.

Conclusion

Voting is not just a right but a responsibility also, and every eligible citizen of India should take it seriously, they must understand the deep-rooted meaning and effort put by our forefathers to give us this privilege to vote and take part in democracy. Right to Vote should not be taken for granted and the meaning of every vote counts must be understood. We are the largest democracy in the world but with passing time we are becoming weaker and weaker, it is not just the fault of government but of every Indian citizen who doesn’t cast a vote every time given a chance.

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References:

[1] The Print Team, Universal Adult Franchise Was The Greatest Experiment In India’s Democratic History, The Print, March 8, 2018, 10:47 AM, https://theprint.in/pageturner/excerpt/universal-adult-franchise-experiment-india-democratic-history/39836/

[2] The Print Team, Universal Adult Franchise Was The Greatest Experiment In India’s Democratic History, The Print, March 8, 2018, 10:47 AM, https://theprint.in/pageturner/excerpt/universal-adult-franchise-experiment-india-democratic-history/39836/

[3] Indian Constitution, Art.326

[4] Constitution (66^th Amendment) Act, 1990

[5] Indian Constitution, Art.326