Page 66 - Leap of Faith Vol - 2

Leap of Faith Journey of Indian Elections

Members of the Turkish Press Delegation having a discussion with CEC Sukumar Sen on February 9, 1952

The success of the First General Elec ons (1951-52) put
India on the terra firma of democracy. Numerous Council of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Associa on
inquiries were received from countries in the Middle East, in January, 1956 at Jamaica. It was the first me that an
Africa and South America for detailed informa on on the Asian member had been elected to the Chair of General
elec ons. Sukumar Sen, the Chief Elec on Commissioner, Council of the Associa on (though Mavalankar's terminal
was nominated to chair an Interna onal Commission to illness prevented him from travelling).
hold elec ons in Sudan, a former Bri sh colony. He spent
14 months abroad organising the elec ons, modifying Mavalankar was elected as the Chairman of the General “
par ally the Indian laws and procedures on the subject, to We, in India, are a democracy. We may flounder. e
suit the need of that Afro-Arabic na on. The elec ons in methods of democracy are essentially tentative. e
Sudan based on universal adult suffrage were a success methods of trial and error are necessarily slow
notwithstanding its literacy rate of mere two percent. In methods but ultimately the results that we achieve
1954, when the Government of India ins tuted its civilian will be more permanent.
awards, Sukumar Sen was given Padma Bhushan for his
contribu on to civil services. “ - Frank Anthony
President's nominee of Anglo-Indian Community
India's reputa on as a democra c na on received further in Lok Sabha on February 17, 1953
interna onal endorsement. Lok Sabha Speaker G.V.

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