Civilizational DNA of India

Democracy, Rights, and India’s Civilizational DNA: A Layman’s Satire

Introduction

When I earlier wrote on the DNA of Donald, I pointed out how certain traits in Western politics—loud rhetoric, individualistic posturing, and lack of civilizational depth—keep resurfacing like genetic markers. Now, some readers may be quick to remind me that India too has its dark chapters: suppression of Dalits, marginalization of Shudras, and restrictions on women. True—but that is only a partial truth, framed largely through the lens of Western individualism.

If we look at the broader arc of India’s public life, our civilizational DNA has allowed us to do things the West still struggles with. India elected a woman Prime Minister decades ago, while America could not (yet) bring itself to choose one. Several Dalits have risen to the highest constitutional position of President, including K. R. Narayanan; we have had a Sikh President (Zail Singh) and now a tribal woman, Droupadi Murmu. Even Zakir Husain became the President after serving as Vice-President, and Mohammad Hamid Ansari also held the office of Vice-President. These are not small milestones. They reflect a civilizational instinct to absorb diversity and allow symbolic representation in public life, even if many inequalities persist at the ground level.

In other words, while the West flaunts its “modern human rights” as though they invented dignity, equality, and representation, India has been practicing a different, sometimes paradoxical, but deeply rooted civilizational way of negotiating these questions.

The Great Drama of Women’s Voting Rights

Take women’s right to vote, for example. England, the so-called “Mother of Democracy,” gave this right only after a long, noisy campaign by the Suffragettes, led by Emmeline Pankhurst (1858–1928). These women marched, shouted, and even went to jail before finally earning the vote in 1918—but only if they were over 30 and “responsible enough.”¹ The younger women had to wait until 1928.²

Across the Atlantic, America’s Founding Fathers forgot their Founding Mothers. Women there got the vote only in 1920, after the 19th Amendment.³ So, for more than 130 years, American democracy functioned on half a voice.

Down under in Australia, white women got the vote in 1902,⁴ but Aboriginal men and women were excluded until 1962.⁵ So much for “universal suffrage.”

Even revolutionary France, which shouted “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity” from the rooftops, gave women the vote only in 1944.⁶ Imagine—after all those revolutions and republics, women still had to wait until World War II ended!

India’s Different Path

Now contrast this with “backward” India. Yes, no one denies that our history includes untouchability, patriarchy, and injustices. But here’s the irony: when India became independent in 1947, our Constitution of 1950 gave universal adult suffrage to everyone—man or woman, rich or poor, upper caste or Dalit, tribal or urban—without anyone chaining themselves to lamp posts or storming palaces.⁷

And look at what followed: India elected a woman Prime Minister (Indira Gandhi) in 1966, something the mighty USA has still not managed. We had Dalit Presidents like K. R. Narayanan and Ram Nath Kovind, a Sikh President in Giani Zail Singh, a Muslim President in Dr. Zakir Husain, and today we have a tribal woman, Droupadi Murmu, as President. We even had a Muslim Vice President, Mohammad Hamid Ansari, serving two terms.⁸

Civilizational DNA vs Imported Models

Of course, Western critics are quick to point out caste, patriarchy, and inequality in India. True, these challenges remain. But the fact is: India didn’t need a century-long suffragette movement or civil war amendments to guarantee equal voting rights. Ours came by default, not by protest.

That’s the difference between rights rooted in Western individualism—earned after bitter struggles—and rights rooted in India’s civilizational inclusiveness, where the Constitution chose to start at the finish line.

Conclusion

So when Western democracies keep preaching to us about diversity and equality, I sometimes laugh. Perhaps they should first look at our Rashtrapati Bhavan guest list: a Dalit, a Sikh, a Muslim, a tribal, and a woman have all reached the highest offices of the land. Meanwhile, America still debates whether a woman can ever be President, and Britain still clings to a monarchy.

So I ask, with a layman’s grin: who exactly is the teacher here, and who should be the student?

Ashram, August 28, 2025

Notes & Footnotes

1. Representation of the People Act 1918 (UK) — women over 30 with property/educational qualifications got the vote.
2. Representation of the People (Equal Franchise) Act 1928 (UK) — voting age equalized to 21 for men and women.
3. United States Constitution, 19th Amendment, ratified 1920.
4. Commonwealth Franchise Act 1902 (Australia) — white women gained the vote.
5. Commonwealth Electoral Act 1962 (Australia) — Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples enfranchised.
6. France: Ordinance of 21 April 1944 — granted women the right to vote.
7. Constitution of India (1950) — universal adult suffrage at independence.
8. Examples of Indian diversity in leadership:
   • Dalit Presidents: K. R. Narayanan (1997–2002), Ram Nath Kovind (2017–2022).
   • Sikh President: Giani Zail Singh (1982–1987).
   • Muslim President: Dr. Zakir Husain (1967–1969).
   • Tribal President: Droupadi Murmu (since 2022).
   • Woman Prime Minister: Indira Gandhi (1966–1977; 1980–1984).
   • Muslim Vice President: Mohammad Hamid Ansari (2007–2017).