Page 36 - Leap of Faith Vol - 2

Leap of Faith Journey of Indian Elections

long time, on account of my work, my roots are still there.
I, therefore, know the village people who will constitute
the bulk of this vast electorate. In my opinion, our people
possess intelligence and commonsense. They also have a
culture which the sophisticated people of today may not
appreciate, but which is solid. They are not literate and do
not possess the mechanical skill of reading and writing. But,
I have no doubt in my mind that they are able to take
measure of their own interest and also of the interests of
the country at large if things are explained to them. In fact,
in some respects, I consider them to be even more
intelligent than many a worker in a factory, who loses his
individuality and becomes more or less a part of the
machine which he has to work. I have, therefore, no doubt
in my mind that if things are explained to them, they will not
only be able to pick up the technique of election, but will be
able to cast their votes in an intelligent manner and I have,
therefore, no misgivings about the future, on their account.
I cannot say the same thing about the other people who
Ensuring inducement-ee elections may try to influence them by slogans and by placing before
them beautiful pictures of impracticable programmes.
officers and others engaged in preparation and revision
Nevertheless, I think their sturdy commonsense will enable
of electoral rolls so that no injustice may be done to any
them to see things in the right perspective. We can,
citizen in India, who under this Constitution is entitled to
therefore, reasonably hope that we shall have legislatures
be brought on electoral rolls”. Dr. Rajendra Prasad, as the
composed of members who shall have their feet on the
President of the Constituent Assembly, complimented
Dr. Ambedkar for moving the amendment. ground and who will take a realistic view of things”.
The optimism of the Constituent Assembly on adult
While summing-up the discussions in the Constituent
franchise, as reflected in the speech of Dr. Rajendra
Assembly- on its last day on November 26, 1949 – Dr.
Prasad, was not misplaced. It has been validated by the
Rajendra Prasad referred to the significance of adult
experience of the last 70 years.
suffrage in the following words-
“Some people have doubted the wisdom of adult
franchise. Personally, although I look upon it as an
experiment the result of which no one will be able to
forecast today, I am not dismayed by it. I am a man of the
village and although I have had to live in cities for a pretty

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