Former Chief Election Commissioner

Born: 11 June 1947
Birthplace: Delhi

I was not born free. However, my birth on 11 June 1947 ensured that I did not have to suffer the indignity of living in a slave country for more than two months. Being one of midnight’s children, I am conscious that my personal history coincides with the history of free India.

The only difference is that while 69 years is a whole lifetime for a human, the country has merely reached adolescence, desperate to shed the ‘child’ tag and be recognised in the world of grownups, i.e. the developed nations of the West whom we idealise, and idolise, even at the risk of shedding our own historical and unique identity.

But we are superior in many ways. For instance, we gave equal voting rights to women in our very first shot at democracy in 1950, whereas it took the US 144 years and UK, the mother of modern democracy, 100 years. We had a woman prime minister—a powerful one at that—within 19 years of democracy, and the first woman president of the Indian National Congress as early as 1925. Who has to learn from whom, I still wonder? I was privately amused when an enterprising Indian businessman recently bought the notorious, and now defunct, East India Company. History has come full circle, indeed!

While India introduced the concept of the world being one family (Vasudhaiva kutumbakam), globalisation has made the world conscious of it. But communal hostility has no boundaries. Racists abroad and casteists in India are siblings separated at birth. Forces of hatred are raising their ugly heads. And technology seems to have increased their destructive potential a million times over.

The uniqueness of India lies in its 3,000 years of harmony and intermingling of races. The resultant birth of a composite culture has been India’s abiding identity. India is the most diverse country in the world, the original megapolis. But we are becoming a violent and intolerant society. From road rage to lynch mobs, everyone seems has their own definition of rights and freedoms. We think in terms of narrow caste, communal, parochial and political interests. For short-term gains we are doing long-term damage to the ‘idea of India’.

Our problems are enormous and real freedom will only be achieved when we banish them. Yet our potential is huge if we take right initiatives. I suggest an employment mission, a national gender education drive, a new population policy, an integrated adolescent development programme and a national reconciliation mission. Our human resource of young men and women, a vibrant economy and democratic culture can propel India to the first world if we keep our people united and focused.

That is the story of India, my twin sibling, through 69 years of history. And what happened to me?

I was born to a family of Islamic scholars and writers of great eminence. However, my father Zubair Quraishi was the first to get a modern education. When he joined St Stephen’s ‘mission’ College in 1923 there was a social uproar; this was considered a radical departure from tradition. He proved to be a bridge between conservative Islam and modern thought.

A great lover of education, my father spent his life running an English grammar school. It was touching to see him go to Max Mueller Bhavan with his walking stick every day at the age of 60 to attend German classes. Years later, I followed suit and the German grammar formulae he had evolved made me a hero when I topped my class in Max Mueller Bhavan. He ensured we got the best possible education despite financial challenges. I pray for his soul.

We grew up in the syncretic culture of the walled city of Delhi. The population then was a good mix of Hindus and Muslims living in harmony despite the trauma of post-Partition riots. But sadly, we started seeing gradual polarisation.

We only had teachers in our family. I was the first to enter the civil service, thereby becoming the first Muslim IAS officer in old Delhi after Independence in 1971 which led to a Hindustan Times editorial. My younger sister Rasheda Husain followed in my footsteps to set a similar record for her gender by joining the central services.

Thanks to the liberal atmosphere in my family, two of my brothers did well in theatre, one of whom played football for India. I played bass guitar in a beat group (while being a lecturer) that featured Sharon Prabhakar, who rose to become a pop star, while I went on to join the ranks of babus! Not to lag behind, I founded a rock band while in the IAS Academy which has survived till today! We gave it a rather queer name, ‘Garibaldi and His Three Hairs’! We still play regularly at private home functions.

Some official memories I cherish are my power reforms under Chaudhary Bansi Lal and postings as DG Doordarshan and DG National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO). The Election Commission gave me an enviable opportunity to preside over the electoral management of the world’s largest democracy. I introduced many innovations of which I am particularly proud of setting up a voters’ education division and starting National Voters’ Day. An institute—India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM)—I set up in the face of full-throttle hostility from many official sections has turned to be a landmark of India’s soft power. Representatives of almost 70 countries have received training there.

Being the largest is not good enough; my dream is for India to become the greatest democracy in the world. I am optimistic. We have great political leadership and an intelligent and hardworking nation that can do it. And we will, Insha Allah. What we need is integrity, determination and, of course, harmony.

Milestones

1971: Passed IAS

1991: Completed his PhD on the topic, “Role of communication and social marketing in development of women and children”

2005: Appointed Secretary in the Ministry of Youth Affairs

2010: Appointed Chief Election Commissioner

2014: An Undocumented Wonder: the Making of the Great Indian Election released

Current occupation: Enjoying his permanent job of being the ‘Former’ Chief Election Commissioner of India; is a Distinguished Fellow at Ashoka University

Illustration by Sanjhi Shah
Featured in Harmony — Celebrate Age Magazine
August 2016

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