 of India heralded a unique event in the world map. Even as the country was unshackling itself of its colonial past, another nation, Pakistan, was being carved out of its geographical entity, and the trauma of the ensuing partition would create convulsions and tragedy, as thousands were orphaned and still more rendered homeless. For the millions who experienced this freedom, democracy would mean an opportunity to participate in the decision-making of the country. Democracy came naturally to the political leadership of the day. These were stalwarts who had sacrificed their own comforts and ambitions to win freedom for their country. And through the years of this unrelenting struggle, they had forged close links with the people of this nation. Over the years, they had helped create a mass movement. They spoke the same language, they were familiar with the cultural ambience of the place, they were familiar with the land, with the area, with the problems of the people and their grievance. That is what gave Indian nationalism the depth that it had. And in that, of course, the role of the leaders was of considerable significance. What made the Indian experiment that much more exciting was its commitment to universal franchise. Democracy, as enshrined in its constitution, had been defined for all its citizens, irrespective of sex, caste, creed and religion. Nehru's death in 1964 saw the end of an era in Indian politics. But 17 years of his leadership had ensured that the roots of democracy had been strongly embedded in the country. Democracy practiced at the grassroots level is seen in the panchayats. The panchayats, or village councils, are the traditional style of decision-making, the local self-governments. It is the success of the panchayati form of governance that has given the Indian democratic system its credibility for the grassroots practitioner. The health of a country's democracy can be gauged by the freedom enjoyed by the media. Indian media remains remarkably unfettered. Whether in the English language or the regional languages, the country's press reflects a divergence of opinions most of the time critical of the establishment and the government. The press has been responsible for putting top politicians and leaders in the dock. Investigative journalism, in fact, is attributed to not just exposing scams, but also toppling many state governments. One of the major achievements of Indian democracy in the past five decades has been its ability to maintain and preserve the supremacy of civil authority over the military. For many observers, this supremacy of the civil authority has allowed democracy to flourish in the country. As 50 years of democratic traditions get embedded into the psyche of the nation, the electoral battles find themselves articulated with a unique vocabulary, colorful, vibrant, and seeking total participation of its citizens.