NEW DELHI: Stressing the role played by Universal Adult Franchise as an agent of change in the electoral democracy, Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud on Friday said that we must reject every form of elite understanding of the democratic process that only the educated are better decision-makers.
Speaking at the 8th Dr LM Singhvi Memorial Lecture on Universal Adult Franchise: Translating India’s Political Transformation into Social Transformation, he said that individuals, whom society has despised as being uneducated, have shown tremendous political acumen and awareness of local problems, which even the educated may not understand.
Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar was the chief guest of the event. The event was also attended by SC judges, MP/MLAs, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and other legal dignitaries. “The elite perceptions that only educated or few individuals should have the right to vote shows contempt and distrust towards democracy.
Since independence, there are lakhs of examples how individuals have used the power they received in the form of their right to vote to exercise political power beyond merely electing representatives, as they formed pressure groups and movements exerting and influencing the elected representatives to further the rights of individuals and engineer a social transformation. This is truly reflective of participative democracy,” he said. He also said that electoral democracy has been an agent of pervasive change at the village and municipal levels.
“The reservation of seats for women and marginalised social groups in panchayats has given them the power to shape their own destinies. There are numerous examples of exemplary work done by women sarpanchs or all-women panchayats in different parts of India. This also demonstrates the bottom-top approach of governance,” the CJI said.
He said right from the very first elections in independent India, Indian citizens have demonstrated a lot of enthusiasm in participating in the electoral process. “Several constitutional commentators had believed that India will not be able to survive as a constitutional democracy. But the Indian citizens have proved such thoughts to be wrong,” the CJI said.
He said one aspect which we must emphasise is the participation in the electoral process by those communities who initially did not have the right to vote but were granted the right by the Constitution.
“Post-independence history tells us that the marginalised communities such as Dalits have considered the right to vote and the idea of universal adult franchise as the sacrosanct feature of the Indian Constitution,” he said.
Also speaking at the event, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar appealed institutions (executive, judiciary and legislature) to work in harmony and tandem for rise of people and the country. Without expressly referring to SC’s verdict that had struck down NJAC as unconstitutional, the Vice President said that power of people was undone.
“Parliament in 2015-16 was dealing with a constitutional amendment and entire Lok Sabha voted unanimously. There was no dissent and the amendment act was passed. In Rajya Sabha, there was one absention. So the people’s ordainment was converted into a constitutional provision. It was power of people reflected through most certified mechanism on a legitimised platform. That power was undone,” he said.