Page 40 - Leap of Faith inside pages with cover (1)

Leap of Faith Journey of Indian Elections

One of the most progressive decisions taken by
Sukumar Sen in preparation for the First General
Elections was not to enrol women voters till they
disclosed their own identities. Many women in
northern India were reluctant to register under their
own names, “but by the description of the relationship
they bore to their male relations”. Instead, they wished
to identify themselves as A's mother or B's wife.
Sukumar Sen was appalled by a practice he called a
“curious senseless relic of the past”, and directed his
officials to correct the rolls by inserting the names of
the women.

of building these easily collapsed before the brute power
of authoritarian elements, at home and abroad.

He was obviously referring to the experience of several
European na ons in the interwar period. The apoli cal
administra ve machinery has played an important role in
sustainment of democracy in India. The main
responsibility of holding the elec ons devolves upon the
government servants. This conven on has come down
from the colonial era when the first direct elec ons (on
limited franchise) to legislatures were held under the
September 1951, Mock Elections - Chief Election Commissioner, Government of India Act, 1919.
Sukumar Sen and his staff supervising ballot boxes in Delhi
The First General Elec ons (1951-52) to Lok Sabha were
educa on of the masses, proper coordina on, and high held simultaneously with elec ons to state legisla ve
level of integrity to conduct the elec ons efficiently. assemblies. This prac ce lasted un l the Fourth General
Even as the Cons tu on of India was being finalized, Elec ons (1967) a er which the concurrence was lost.
illustrious economist Prof. D.G. Karve (in R.R. Kale The Report on the First General Elec ons in India 1951-52
Memorial Lecture, 1949), observed that newer in two volumes – general and sta s cal – provides a full
democracies devoid of the founda ons of either public account of the India's First General Elec ons to the House
and local administra on or of the desire and opportunity of the People and Legisla ve Assemblies of the states.

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