Story of Adult Suffrage in India

for India, recommended the adoption of adult suffrage, after a careful consideration of the various arguments for and against the same. Undoubtedly, there were formidable difficulties and the Constituent assembly of India had to face when it came to draft the country’s constitution. In the true spirit of democracy, the Constituent assembly unhesitatingly adopted the principle of adult suffrage with full knowledge of the difficulties involved. This was indeed an act of faith- faith in the common man of India and his practical common sense. This decision launched a great and fateful experiment unique in the world in its stupendousness and complexities. The carrying out of this unprecedented experiment attracted world-wide attention and journalists, politicians and other observers came from numerous foreign countries to study its working first hand. The governments of Nepal and Indonesia sent officials for intensive study of the elections from the administrative and legal angles as these countries were also committed to setting up of democratic form of government on adult franchise and had problems similar to those of India. Experience suggests that literary education, however desirable, is not an essential condition for the successful working of adult suffrage. It is essential, however, that in order for adult suffrage to work fairly and smoothly, two other conditions must be taken into account- the conduct of election must be strictly non-partisan and the executive government must sincerely desire free and fair elections and actively work for the same with rightful intention.