Indian election

Do you want to witness the greatest democratic spectacle on earth? Well, here's a red carpet welcome to India.

What is democracy all about? Sheer numbers tell the tale. In the general elections now underway in India, there are 16,000 candidates for the 543 Parliamentary seats, 17,000 candidates for State Legislatures, 590 million voters, 4 million election officials, 2.5 million ballot boxes, 1.6 million police on duty, 800,000 polling stations and above all, 19,800 metric tons of paper for ballots. Mind-boggling statistics, aren't they? This reveals the roots of democracy in India.

A record of sorts is also being created in an Assembly Constituency, where a total of 1033 candidates are in the fray. The election commission is clearly in a quandary as to how to allocate an election symbol to all these aspirants. Even if the commission somehow manages to solve this problem, they have yet another headache. The ballot paper (if one can still call it a paper) alone can run into a 60-page booklet.

The election commission, a powerful and fiercely-independent body, has hired 1500 teams, providing them with cameras and other equipment to record the major parties' campaigning across the country so that any malpractice or violation of the electoral code of conduct can be brought to light.

Anyway, how does the common man in India feel? First, he's no longer a common man -- he is Mister Indian, holding his most powerful vote in his hands. He's a king -- no, a king-maker -- at least for a day. He is quite aware of the prominence and attention bestowed on him by the election system. Indeed, he is enjoying his sudden status, as even once-mighty ministers of central and state governments are now bowing down to him and wooing his all-important vote.

D. CHANDRAMOULI

Jakarta