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An Undocumented Wonder : The Making of the Great Indian Election

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The great Indian election continues to generate global interest and wonder, partly on account of its uninterrupted success and partly because of the obvious challenges of demography, geography, and the mind boggling diversities. How are these elections conducted? What were the challenges faced by the Election Commission of India? How did it overcome these challenges? What are the ideals and principles that drive the people involved in completing this mammoth task? An Undocumented Wonder: The Making of the Great Indian Election answers these and many more questions about what has been termed often as the great dance of democracy . The book avoids the kiss and tell track, nor does it seek to entice readers with any spill the beans approach. Instead, the attempt is to serve and satisfy the readers genuine curiosity through a first person account of the recent electoral history and the challenges encountered. Along with highly informative and exciting inside stories of Indian elections, the author shares his experiences and knowledge from the time when he served as the Chief Election Commissioner of India. KEY SELLING POINTS An exhaustive study of the Indian elections Contains inside stories and interesting anecdotes Rich with the experiential knowledge of the author former CEC of India

416 pages, Hardcover

First published April 21, 2014

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About the author

S.Y. Quraishi

11 books7 followers

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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
Profile Image for Udit Nair.
381 reviews81 followers
May 19, 2020
Conducting elections in India is itself a monumental task. I mean just conducting it on the given date is such an enormous task that most of other things are often unnoticed. The author does justice to the title because literally this book can be a place to find all about how elections are conducted in India. The author writes this in preface-
"I recommend this book to those interested in India’s electoral democracy, but more than that, to those who are interested in seeing our democracy go well beyond its procedural successes to become not just the world’s largest but its greatest democracy."

The initial chapters of the book are very interesting and one can go through it at one go. I must admit that the second part of the book was bit dry and hence might not be interesting to many.

There is an important theme which keeps repeating and so let me quote the author verbatim here-
"It is of paramount importance that people must have faith in the impartiality and capability of the Election Commission. Even the slightest perception of wrongdoing will lead to loss of credibility and effectiveness of the Commission. The Commission enjoys the full trust of all stakeholders not only because it is completely non-partisan, but also because, by its actions, it projects a completely neutral image."
This is the part where things are getting little problematic. The 2019 general elections and subsequent ones do project a perception that ECI is docile and is not acting fairly against the ruling party. The fact that there are even slightest apprehensions should make ECI worry about it's own credentials.
Profile Image for Pankaj.
67 reviews10 followers
August 3, 2016
This book is like a Bible for those who want to know and understand the history and current system of Indian Elections. The Author has written many interesting facets about Elections.
Profile Image for Gowtham.
249 reviews46 followers
November 5, 2020
“Democracy is not merely a form of Government...It is essentially an attitude of respect and reverence towards fellowmen.” Dr. B R Ambedkar.

உலகின் மிக பழமையான ஜனநாயக நாடான அமெரிக்காவின் அதிபர் தேர்தல் பரபரப்பாக பேச படும் இந்த காலகட்டத்தில், உலகின் மிக பெரிய ஜனநாயக நாடான இந்தியாவின் தேர்தல்-ஜனநாயகம் பற்றி அறியவேண்டியது அவசியமாகிறது. இந்தியாவின் தேர்தல் எவ்வளவு சிக்கல் நிரைந்தது என்பதை S.Y Quraishi எழுதிய “ AN UNDOCUMENTED WONDER” என்ற நூலை வாசித்தல் புரியும் .

படிக்க படிக்க வியப்பும், பிரமிப்பும் ஒட்டி கொள்கிறது, Gopalkrishna gandhi இந்த நூலுக்கு எழுதிய முன்னுரையில் தாஜ் மஹால், மகாத்மா காந்தி ஆகிய இரண்டு விசயங்களுக்கு பிறகு மதிப்பு மிக்க அதிசியம் என்னவென்றால் இந்தியாவின் தேர்தல் ஜனநாயகம் என்கிறார். நூலின் முடிவில் அதை நானும் உணர்ந்தேன்.
தேர்தல் அரசியல் பற்றி பலருக்கும் பல்வேறு கருத்து இருக்கலாம், ஆனால் அந்த தேர்தல் எப்படி நடக்கிறது? அதன் வரலாறு என்ன? அதன் அதிகாரம் என்ன? அந்த அமைப்பின் அடிக்கட்டுமானம் மேல்கட்டுமானம், பற்றி எல்லாம் தெரிந்து கொண்டால் தேர்தல் அரசியலில் மீது மதிப்பு நிச்சயம் கூடும். அதற்கு இந்நூல் ஒரு நுழைவு வாயிலாக அமையும்.

குறிப்பாக இந்த நூலில் தேர்தல் பற்றிய ஒரு சுருக்கமான வரலாறும் அதை தொடர்ந்து இந்தியாவின் தேர்தல்-ஜனநாயகம், தேர்தல் ஆணையம், அதன் உறுப்புக்கள் மற்றும் உரிமைகள், வாக்காளர் உரிமைகள், ஊடக தாக்கம், இளைஞர்களுக்கு அறிவூட்டல், தொழில்நுட்பமும் தேர்தல் ஜனநாயகமும், பணம் மற்றும் ஊழல் ஆகிய தலைப்புகள் விரிவாக விளக்க பட்டுள்ளது.

காலம் காலமாக தேர்தல் பல்வேறு மாற்றங்களை சந்தித்துள்ளது, சுதந்திரத்திற்கு பின்பு நடந்த முதல் தேர்தலில் வேட்பாளர்களின் பெயர் பொறித்த பெட்டிகள் பயன்படுத்தப்பட்டன அதில் தேர்தல் ஆணையத்தின் முத்திரை பொறித்த வாக்கு சீட்டுகளை கொண்டு வாக்களிக்கும் முறை இருந்தது, அதன் பின் வாக்குசீட்டில் வேட்பாளர்களின் பெயர் மற்றும் கட்சி சின்னம் அறிமுக படுத்தப்பட்டு வாக்கு பெட்டியில் செலுத்தும் முறை இருந்தது, தொண்ணூறுகளின் பிற்பகுதியில் சட்டத்திருத்தம் செய்யப்பட்டு மின்னணு வாக்குப்பதிவு எந்திரம் அறிமுகம் செய்யப்பட்டது, அதன் பின் NOTA அறிமுகப்படுத்தப்பட்டு ஒரு வாய்ப்பாக இணைக்கப்பட்டது, கடந்த தேர்தல் முதல் யாருக்கு வாக்களித்தோம் என உறுதிப்படுத்த VVPAT(Voter-verified paper audit trail) அறிமுகப்படுத்தியது வரை இந்தியாவில் தேர்தல் முறை பல்வேறு மாற்றங்களை அடைந்துள்ளது, இன்னும் பல ஜனநாயக நாடுகள் வாக்கு சீட்டு முறையை தான் பயன்படுத்தி வருகின்றன.

இப்படி பல்வேறு செய்திகள் அனைவரும் அறிந்துகொள்ளும் விதத்தில் எளிமையாக விளக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது, நூல் ஆசிரியர் முன்னாள் தேர்தல் ஆணையர் என்பதால் கள எடுத்துக்காட்டுகளுடனும் தான் சந்தித்த பிரச்சனைகளுடனும் அனுபவப்பூரவமான தகவல்களை பகிர்ந்துள்ளார்.

தேர்தல் அரசியலில் நாட்டமுள்ள, அரசியல் தளத்தில் இயங்கும் தோழர்கள் மற்றும் உடன் பிறப்புகள் அவசியம் வாசிக்க வேண்டிய புத்தகம், அடுத்தாண்டு சட்டமன்ற தேர்தல் வருவதால் அதற்கு தயாராகும் வகையிலும் இந்த நூல் அவசிய தேவையாகிறது.

படிக்க நேரமில்லாத தோழர்களுக்காக, இதில் அனைவரும் அவசியம் அறிந்துகொள்ளும் அடிப்படை தகவல்களை மட்டும் ஒரு தொடராக எழுதலாம் என்று தீர்மானித்துள்ளேன். அதை பற்றிய தகவல்களை விரைவில் பகிர்கிறேன்.

வாய்ப்புள்ள தோழர்கள் அவசியம் வாசிக்கவும்.

BOOK: An undocumented wonder - The making of great India election.
AUTHOR: S.Y Quraishi
#Doread
#ELECTION
#DEMOCRACY
Profile Image for Rahul Vishnoi.
702 reviews22 followers
August 14, 2025
-The Festival of Indian Democracy-
Review of 'An Undocumented Wonder'

Quote Alert
"𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐬 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢 𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐤𝐞𝐲 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐬𝐞𝐭 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐝𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐬𝐭, 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐰𝐚𝐲. 𝐀 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐝𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 (𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐭) 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐮𝐭."



As an Indian saying goes, elections are a festival of democracy. We, the people of the Republic of India, have been yoked with mighty morals for aeons, hence this saying. What I feel is that an election, particularly the general elections, is not a festival but a fair. The word tamasha hops to mind; a tamasha where a bull (or a cow, if you may) decked up with marigold garlands, horns polished with mustard oil and hooves tinkling with anklets is dancing drunk. And all are invited ticket free. The politicians, the bahubalis, the MPs, the MLAs, the star pracharaks, the karyakartas all join this melee of money, power, corruption and crime.

The netas are particularly the nats of this fair: the acrobats. They dance and sing to the tune of janata, dropping down from helicopters to the land they had made uncountable promises to. The ones who are hoping to get elected for the first time are supercharged, filled with blame for their co-contestants and songs of their own praises. It is this fair that SY Quraishi hopes to rationalize in his psephological treatise on the great, grand fair of Indian elections.

The author, armed with tables and statistics, graphs and articles, surveys and studies, hopes to tame this beast. To lasso it with a chain and tether it to the ground of logic and the jubilant cries of ‘hence-proved.’ How does the Election Commission of India overcome the challenges? What ideals and principles (if any) drive the people who are involved in accomplishing this mammoth task?

An Undocumented Wonder: The Making of the Great Indian Elections answers these and many more questions about what has often been termed the ‘biggest management event of the world’. This is a firstperson account of the recent electoral history of India, since the author has served as an Election Commissioner and, later, as Chief Election Commissioner of India.
6 reviews
May 13, 2017
I am enlightened by reading this book. The book takes us through history of Electionering in India since independence and how it evolved over the years. The book gives insight story how machinery works and ensures impeccable management of all affairs articulated by none other than the person who spearhead the institution for many years.

It's must read for those who want to understand this amazing institution and how it has successfully sustained & nurtured democracy in India for last 70 years. Hats off to the author and entire Election Commission who works tirelessly without any fame/name as safekeeper of fundamental constitutional right of every Indian.



Profile Image for Adarsh Mishra.
34 reviews
June 16, 2024
A genuine insider's peek into the cornerstone of Indian democracy and it's inherent contradictions, this book leaves you with more questions about whether really today's ECI can be taken on its face value, esp in context of all the debate about EVMs.
With nuggets ranging from electoral system in ancient India (yes!) to modern day(I didn't know that EVMs were first used in 1982 in Kerela!) , the book is gripping read for anyone interested in Indian election process.

Coming from the horse's mouth, it does have a tone of bias though, and needs to be read with context of the time it depicts and author's own position within the system.
Profile Image for Vikram Ketkar.
88 reviews1 follower
October 17, 2018
This book in my opinion is a bit too technical. Quite an exhaustive analysis of the process and organization which handles the modern wonder ie the Indian elections but I would have loved a lot many more anecdotes. So without the interludes reading becomes a bit of a bore.

Though I have nothing but deepest admiration and respect for all those who continue to work in the most adverse circumstances to ensure that India does remain a democracy at least on the day of the elections.
6 reviews
July 11, 2020
Our VOTE in Elections defines our future.

"An Undocumented Wonder the making of the great Indian election" Written by former Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Shri. S.Y. Quraishi is a Masterpiece. As the name suggests this book revolves around the role of stakeholders ranging from Election Commission, Citizen, Political parties and many other independent institutions who safeguard the Gold standard elections in the world's largest democracy.

Valuable read for all those who values their VOTE.
Profile Image for Ayush Kumar.
Author 1 book4 followers
January 27, 2018
There’s nobody more qualified than Mr. Quraishi to speak about the intricacies of the Indian election and everything that goes into it. His own opinions on various electoral reforms are considered and illuminating. However, someone looking for a narrative of an Indian election as a case study might be disappointed by the somewhat textbook-ish tone of this one.
4 reviews
May 13, 2018
Must read for those who are interested knowing about how great Indian election machine works.

I always wanted to know insight of how this election machine in a vast country with such a diverse culture works. This book is amazing and filled with all information and stories you need to know about indian election.
2 reviews1 follower
February 19, 2020
Expected it to have a lot of anecdotal stuff, but found it too theoretical and like a long long essay...
Profile Image for Mihir Parekh.
62 reviews1 follower
February 21, 2016
Highly informative. Book mostly deals with management and issues of Electoral Reforms of the great Indian elections in free and fair manner in highly vibrant and cohesive democracy. Honestly written without any controversial stories which otherwise could have been written in plenty considering the subject of book. But Mr. S.Y.Quraish written it so honestly and in straightforward manner that at some point book looks dull in literary domain. Must read. Three cheers for Election Commission which is instrumental in keeping our democracy dancing ! Long live Democracy !
674 reviews18 followers
May 16, 2016
This book by the former Chief Election Commissioner gives a great overview of the role of the EC, and its evolution across decades. Many anecdotes and cases (Punjab DGP trying to post police in his future constituency, TN police official using LTTE as excuse, the BSP elephants cover, raid of truck at night carrying Rs 50 MINR cash) illustrate the issues of holding elections in India. Another chapter I liked was the analytical overview of why 2 step elections or right to recall may not work in India
34 reviews14 followers
January 28, 2017
A book which although written with an intention to highlight the role of Election Commission in Indian democracy ends up being an admixture of too many facts,snippets from newspapers/foreign magazine and provisions of Indian constitution.
It is rather a dry and tedious read with no original insight given by the author. I personally felt the author would have done justice to this rather interesting subject by making his writing more dynamic and based on insider account rather than making it a pedantic account of how elections in India work.
Profile Image for Nishank Agrawal.
24 reviews3 followers
October 7, 2015
This is an amazing read. I never realized there are so many insights to planning and conducting elections. Mr. Qureshi being former CEC is probably the best person to provide such detailed aspects of elections. The book was full of truck loads of valuable information.
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