When India fought the British to wriggle out of slavery,

The World thought that it was indeed an act of bravery,

It sure was but the question that now made them slave,

Was one of greatest importance - how to brave,

The tough conditions that lay ahead ,

How to build the nation brick-by-brick,

How to bind the states together in a single thread ,

Someone suggested that it would be a solution quick,

To fix all the problems-social, economic and political ,

The constitution -makers drafted the longest written body of rules --- a system federal,

With a unitary bias… showed strength and character to introduce,

The Universal Adult Franchise… this made the World wake up and deduce,

That the young nation had no experience practical,

There was a chance that with a teeming populace of illiterates with voice equivocal,

The attempt at democracy and forming the government of the people,

By the people, for the people might end up a failure and its ripple effect,

Would be felt far and wide…so thought the Western World and dared to reject,

The prospect of Democracy in India, to the Political Scientists seemed bleak,

They were watching with bated breath the unfolding of a democracy that attempted to tweak,

The ills that plagued the Indian society at the time, especially absence of equality,

Of any kind – social, economic and political, also the lack of liberty,

Of thought, expression, faith and worship, so the constitution – makers embarked,

On a tumultuous journey, of giving Indians a life of equality of status and opportunity,

Gave each citizen the right to vote in elections…what once Thomas Jefferson remarked,

Sounded true then and now that there is no safe depository of the ultimate power,

Of the society but the people themselves, only they can make the ills cower,

There is no other form of governance more effective than the one born out of Democracy,

For, the world has witnessed since the time immemorial, the unrest born out of

Unjust Oligarchy, Autocracy and Theocracy.

Today 72 years after we began our tryst with Democracy and the subsequent criticism,

That it would not work, given our demography and the rate of literacy,

Brethren below the poverty line, Political Scientists arguing against with cynicism,

The point of contention was --- would the illiterate masses be able to make the right choice,

Would they be able choose the right people to the legislature and get across their voice,

Loud and clear that an average Indian wants nothing more than a life of dignity,

Where they are given the right to equality and liberty,

Of thought, expression , beliefs and opportunities.

In the beginning, the Indians saw a single party rule,

For many years voted them to power and faced ridicule,

By the fourth estate that questioned the intellect of the voters,

Who ended up choosing the wrong people and felt like jokers,

For having the guts to mock at their own choice and make the right selection,

So that there is no remorse or regret after the next general election.

Years have passed, the single party rule gave way to the coalition politics,

The divide between haves and have-nots still remains robust like an undiminished flame of burning wicks.