India is Youngistan

‘One citizen, one vote’, was the greatest gift of our Constitution to the people of India. Many in the West had grave doubts about it. Millions of Indians were illiterate; most of them were very poor and had no experience of democracy.

So, would they understand what their right to vote meant?

In the last sixty years we have surprised the world and shown how even an illiterate, landless laborer understands his Right to Vote and at least once every five years exercises it with the maturity of a citizen of a free country.

 The Congress Party had demanded Universal Adult Suffrage as early as the 1920s, showing its faith in the common man. There were many suggestions for indirect elections, through panchayats, but an overwhelming majority of the Constituent Assembly voted for AdultSuffrage. As a matter of fact it was the only article that was passed without any vote of dissent.

Today every Indian of eighteen years and above, man or women, rich or poor, literate or illiterate, of every region, social class and religion, gets one vote.

Granville Austin, calls it,  “the gong, the single note, whose reverberation might awaken, or at least stir, sleeping India”.

 During sixty years of the republic Indian voters have learnt that through their vote they can exercise power. That even the most powerful leader would approach them at election time and if their promises have not been kept, even the humblest citizen can reject him. Most amazingly, in an unequal, caste-dominated and male- oriented society, the power of the vote started a social revolution. People have now understood that in India no one is a subject. It is a government of the people, by the people and for the people.

During elections in British times there were many restrictions based on income and education. Women were not allowed to  vote. They didn’t have this right. Thus only about 15 per cent of the population could vote.

Youths of India can bring any change for the betterment of India. They have to use their right to vote to make India a democratic superpower.