Former president Pranab Mukherjee on Thursday asserted that consensus is the lifeblood of democracy, adding that democracy in India has been tested time and again. Speaking at the First Sukumar Sen Memorial Lecture hosted by the Election Commission (EC) to mark its 70th year of inception, Mukherjee stated that democracy thrives on listening, deliberating, discussing, arguing and even dissent.
He underlined that enthusiastic participation of people in the electoral process is the key to a healthy democracy. "Indian Democracy has been tested time and again. The consensus is the lifeblood of democracy. Democracy thrives on listening, deliberating, discussing, arguing and even dissent. The enthusiastic participation of people in the electoral process is the key to a healthy democracy," said Mukherjee.
"Indian democracy and its inherent power of assimilation has successfully thwarted insurgency and separate movements and elections have successfully co-opted varied groups into the electoral mainstream," he stated.
"Indian Democracy has been tested time and again. Consensus is the lifeblood of Democracy.Democracy thrives on listening, deliberating, discussing, arguing and even dissent."
Delivered the first Sukumar Sen lecture instituted by the Election Commission of India. #CitizenMukherjee pic.twitter.com/ZXpWvR1q7H— Pranab Mukherjee (@CitiznMukherjee) January 23, 2020
The EC had organised the event as a tribute to the first Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sukumar Sen who had served from March 21 1950-December 19 1958. The former president also delivered the inaugural lecture on electoral processes of India and challenges of the electoral systems.
Speaking on the occasion, Mukherjee said that Sen was "chosen to play obstetrician and to deliver Indian democracy’s first crop of nearly three thousand elected representative. Realising with surprising un-ICS humility that democracy likes its mechanics to be as self-effacing as possible, the Chief Election Commissioner became an unseen, undogmatic influence patiently judicial in his attitude to parties but insistent in regard to the machine he wielded".
He also noted that "free, fair, popular and credible elections are a cornerstone, indeed the lifeblood of democracy. Sen, by seamlessly conducting the first two general elections, aided India’s transition from a crown colony to a sovereign democratic republic in practical terms."
Mukherjee recalled that "The Constituent Assembly of India, which prepared the Constitution, had intensely debated the issue of universal adult franchise. It had unhesitatingly adopted the principle of adult suffrage with the full knowledge of the difficulties involved." The former president said, "The foremost achievement of the First General Election lies in the fact that it cemented and painstakingly brought about the unification of India."
Speaking about the role of EC, Mukherjee said, "In my opinion, the Election Commission, respected and revered by the people and feared by the participants of elections, has mostly stood the test of time. The role of the Election Commission in the practical play of democracy in India has been simply outstanding. The challenges it has had to face have been daunting. The management of an electorate of over 900 million in 2019 that is nearly the combined population of third, fourth and fifth largest nations in the world, and ensuring fair polling is not an easy job. I compliment the Election Commission for this laudable achievement."
