T.N. Seshan: a hero of democracy
In light of the precarious presidential transition, the US might benefit from the intervention of someone like T.N. Sheshan, India’s great electoral reformer. Thirty years ago the joke went that Indian politicians feared only God and Seshan – although not necessarily in that order.
T.N. Seshan was Chief Election Commissioner of India from 1990 to 1996, and took on the daunting task of holding politicians to account and enforcing their compliance with the rules of democratic elections. Much of the strength of the Indian electoral process today is thanks to his efforts.
In his first year as Commissioner alone, he identified over a hundred common electoral malpractices - and went on to tackle all of them. He placed limits on the campaign spending of electoral candidates; in the 80s, many had liberally distributed money around villages where they needed votes, and travelled with an entourage befitting a sultan. He banned politicians from stirring up hostility based on caste or religious differences. He made sure that millions of election officers could be deployed to ensure that elections proceeded safely; at the time, it was relatively common for armed gangs to appear and destroy ballot boxes. He issued identity cards to all legal voters. The list goes on.
It’s easy for history to forget men like Seshan, who work to strengthen democracy itself. Politicians – often larger-than-life characters, building a cult of personality and striving for their own advancement – tend to be more memorable.
Yet Seshan made such an impact that he became a popular hero. He was known to be entirely incorruptible; the only gifts he would ever accept were small statues of the god Ganesh. And he was fearless in the face of considerable intimidation. “I am like a ball. The more you kick me, the more I will bounce back,” he said.
That’s a quality that anyone who supports democracy in today’s India needs in abundance.
