WHY DID THE CONSTITUTION-MAKERS TRUST THE INDIAN PEOPLE?

India adopted universal adult franchise despite widespread illiteracy, poverty and limited experience with electoral democracy. This decision raises an important question: why did the Constitution-makers extend voting rights to all adult citizens immediately rather than wait for greater political experience or educational development? Drawing on selected Constituent Assembly Debates and scholarship on the making of Indian democracy, this paper examines the competing arguments surrounding the adoption of universal adult franchise. It focuses on the contrasting positions of R. K. Sidhwa, H. N. Kunzru and Alladi Krishnaswami Ayyar to explore the tension between preparing citizens for democracy and recognising their political equality from the outset. The paper argues that the decision reflected a willingness to accept the risks of mass participation rather than make political rights conditional on education, property or social status. It also considers the possible consequences of delaying universal franchise in a society marked by entrenched inequalities, while acknowledging that this alternative outcome cannot be established with certainty.