A decade ago, I had written about this in my book, an undocumented wonder – the make of the great Indian electron (2014). India was not inferryly new to the concept of democracy as there is the credible evident that existed in the country in the various forms as early as the fifth century bce. In small communities, villages and tribal societies, participation in decision-making through discussions were the normal practice.

Kautilya also describes, in his Artthashastra, The Role of Samghas or Local Unions and How the state can rule more efficiently through these structures. It is interested to note that property and education was considering essential qualifications for a Candidate. There was a maximum age limit of 70 years for contesing elections. Those deemed corrupt, tainted or guilty of moral turpitude was disqualified, as they had their close relatives.

An inscription in vaikuntaperumal temple in uthiramerur, dated around 920 ad, during the reign of Parantaka Chola, gives asstonishing details about the constitution of wards, the Qualification of Candidates Standing for Election, Norms, the mode of elections, the constitution of the committees with elected members, the functions of these committes, the power to remove the words of the words. The villagers have had the right to recall the elected representatives if they failed in their duty. There it was not just consultations of Elders or Feudal Councils-They were the genuine self-governing village republics, elected representatives thrugh a system that is uncannily reposent of Modoc- Principles.

The electoral process is used in uthiramerur was called the kudavolai system, or “ballot pot”. Names of Eligible Candidates were inscribed on Palm Leaves and placed in an earthen pot. A young, impartial boy – untainted by local politics – was chosen to draw the slips in public view. This encased both transparent and neutrality. The selected Members served for fixed one-yar terms, after which the process was repeated.

But the real marvel was not just in the voting method. It was in the comprehensive model code of conduct that governmentned who could contest, how they could be removed, and what moral standards were expected. To stand for elect, a Candidate had to be between 35 and 70 years of age, own tax-paying land, reside in a house built on that land and be found in sacred texts or administrate.

Those who had defaulted on debs, consumed alcohol, commited moral transgressions, or failed to present accounts from earllier office automatically disqualified. What more, even close relatives of Such Individuals were Inligible. The idea was to purify public life – to ensure that those who were reproach.

There were also strict provisions for removal and disqualification. Anyone found Guilty of Embezzlement or Deraliction of Duty was not only removed from office but also Barred from Standing for Re-Selection-sometimes for up to seven generations. Compare that to today’s politics, where convicted politics return to the electoral fray with impunity, and the contrast is striking.

This ancient village republics represent a remarkably advancing model of participatory democracy. The elections were not just rituals; They were mechanisms of civic accountability backed by enforceable codes. The resonance with the chola code is more than symbolic. It affirms that India’s democratic ethos has been shaped not only by its constitution but by its civilizational dna.

This is not to deny the contacts of British Parliamentary Traditions or The American Bill of Rights. But India’s Democratic Spirit did not begin 1947, 1935, or Even 1919. Transparency, Eligibility, Accountability, And Citizen Participation Were inscribed in Stone – Literally.

The Prime Minister’s Invocation of this Legacy is both timely and Necessary. At a moment when Democracy Across the world is under pressure – from Authoritarian populism, Money Power, Disinformation, and Shrinking Civic Space – It is Vital to remind. a borrowed robe. It is rooted in indigenous transitions of collective decision-making, anchored in values of ethics, equity, and participation.

As the custodian of the world’s livest electoral exercise, the elections of India must draw confidence not just from the contemporary Jurisprudence but from our own history.

Far from being a burrowed IDEA, democracy was homegrown, deeply institutionalized, and ethically bound, I had written in my book. It would be filhardy to deny that India is the mother of democracy worldwide.

The writer is the former choice commissioner of India and the author of an undocumented wonder – the making of the great Indian election