 The Republic of India was born on January 26th, 1950. Many nations have taken shape through the ages, but this was the largest and boldest experiment in democracy ever. A people comprising one-sixth of humanity with a rich diversity of cultures spread across a land the size of a continent were undertaken to build a new destiny for themselves. Indians call Mahatma Gandhi the father of the nation. He was the foremost of a galaxy of leaders who stirred up India's hitherto feudal conservative society with liberal humanist ideals. Inspired by them, the Constituent Assembly, which was elected when India became independent on August 15th, 1947, formulated one of the boldest and most detailed charters for a nation. The constitution created a democratic republic, the President is the head of state, but he must act on the advice of a council of ministers headed by the Prime Minister. The council of ministers in turn must have the confidence of the House of the People, which is elected now by 650 million voters, the largest group to vote a House of Representatives into being ever, anywhere. There is also a council of states in India's parliament for the constitution organised India into several states, each with a unique culture. At a time when women in many industrially advanced countries did not have the right to vote, many were skeptical about whether universal adult franchise could work in such a poor and underdeveloped land as India. Members of India's parliament come there through a trial by fire. That only makes them all the more determined to keep the government constantly on its toes. Although they fight each other fiercely in debates, discussions and questions as if they were sworn enemies, India's parliamentarians work together with the United Will to take the nation forward. With such basic unity of purpose, India's democracy has proved resilient, whether a single party wins a majority or not. Minority governments and coalitions have been formed at various times with never a whisper of a threat to the democratic system. India today is the largest democracy in the world and a vibrant one at that with free press and a democratically elected government, one succeeding the other, has sent a message to the rest of the world loud and clear that democracy does work. Democracy can be made to function regardless of the size of the nation and the diversity, both religious and ethnic and cultural. And if it can work here, there's no reason why it shouldn't work in other countries. The tensions between the individual's liberty and the need to build fraternity across a nation has troubled political scientists for centuries. India's constituent assembly faced a great challenge on this front since large sections of India's population had been socially, economically and politically dispossessed for centuries. These were the tribes that live mainly in forested pockets and the caste groups at the lower end of the social hierarchy. So the constitution reserved seats for these groups in legislatures and in education. The constitution established a number of checks on the government. The comptroller and auditor general, for example, has independent authority to check all government expenditure. Its reports are regularly sent to parliament. At times, this constitutional ombudsman has caused a storm that has shaken up India's politics. And India's courts keep a hawk's eye on governments at every level. In 1993, the constitution was amended to extend democracy in a rarely major thrust. Another level of democratic representation was created, much closer to the people. India has had an ancient tradition of village councils with the status and respect almost of a religious institution. Drawing from this haloed tradition, the constitution now provides for elected bodies in each village and town across India, which take decisions among the people that affect their daily lives. These bodies are revolutionary in the world's annals of democracy, for they reserve a third of all seats, including those of chairpersons for women, apart from reserving seats for the most backward castes and tribes. Even the poorest Indians in the most remote parts of their vast land have come to value the right to vote and to use that power. No wonder Indian elections are some of the most colourful and lively anywhere in the world.