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Diversity India's strength: Seshan

Special Correspondent

"The nation is an example of a coalition set-up"

ENDOWMENT SEMINAR: Former Chief Election Commissioner T.N. Seshan at the seminar in Chennai on Wednesday. Christopher Wurst , U.S. Vice-Consul (centre) and Sumit Nakandala, Deputy High Commissioner of Sri Lanka, look on. — Photo: S.R. Raghun athan

CHENNAI: The vast diversity of India's people is its strength and not weakness, former Chief Election Commissioner T. N. Seshan said here on Wednesday.

He was responding to an observation made by Aruna Sivakami, chairperson of the School of Political and International Studies, the University of Madras, on the desirability of coalition governments and multiplicity of political parties in India.

Mr. Seshan said the country itself was an example of a coalition set-up. "Given the nature of the country, there cannot be uniformity and India might appear anarchic. The nation can grow fast only if its people are more focussed."

There was nothing wrong in the presence of a number of parties, he said, adding: "The right to disagree is central to democracy." Mr. Seshan was participating in a seminar on `Forms of representation and issues of governance' at the university.

Sumith Nakandala, Deputy High Commissioner of Sri Lanka, explained why the system of proportional representation was introduced in his country in 1978. The need to provide representation to minority groups was one of the main factors. The system was development-oriented and provided greater scope for the electorate to have a say.

Christopher Wurst, vice-consul (public affairs) at the United States Consulate here, said an increase of 6.4 per cent in voter participation was witnessed in the 2004 Presidential election in his country. Person-to-person contact played a key role in mobilising voters and this was facilitated by the adoption of new technologies.

Though there were numerous means to mobilise voters nowadays, the factors necessary for participation in electoral process — passion, commitment, idealism and civic responsibility — still remained the same, he said.

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