Why in News?

• 2 October 2026 marks Gandhi’s 157th birth anniversary and the International Day of Non-Violence.
• This year, discussions highlight Gandhi’s global legacy of non-violence and his early fight for voting rights in colonial Natal.
• This connects with the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The Supreme Court on 27 May 2026 upheld the Bihar SIR and the ECI’s powers under Article 324 and the RPA, 1950.

Key Concepts

• Gandhi’s first organised political battle in South Africa was against the Natal Franchise Amendment Bill (1894), which sought to disenfranchise Indians. He founded the Natal Indian Congress in 1894.
• In India, he argued that adult franchise must be the basis of the system from day one. The 1931 Karachi Congress resolution also promised adult suffrage.
• Article 324 gives the Election Commission of India (ECI) control over the preparation of electoral rolls and the conduct of elections.
• The Representation of the People Act, 1950 governs electoral rolls. Section 21(3) allows a special revision apart from the ordinary revision under Section 21(2).
• The Supreme Court held that eligibility to be on the roll and citizenship determination are related but distinct questions.

Gandhi at a Glance

• Born: 2 October 1869, Porbandar, Gujarat
• Full name: Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi
• Father: Karamchand Gandhi | Mother: Putlibai
• Assassinated: 30 January 1948, New Delhi
• Known as: Mahatma / Bapu
• Returned to India: 1915 from South Africa

Gandhian Movements Timeline

Related Facts

• His first recorded use of “genius” was in his 1888 London Diary, expressing wonder at the Suez Canal.
• He called Tilak the “genius of swaraj” at the 1924 Belgaum Congress.
• Article 325 bars exclusion from the electoral roll on grounds of religion, race, caste or sex.
• Article 326 provides for elections on the basis of adult suffrage.
• The 61st Amendment (1988) lowered the voting age from 21 to 18.
• The UN General Assembly declared 2 October the International Day of Non-Violence in 2007.

Polity and Governance

• Clean rolls are essential for free and fair elections.
• The risk is that a process meant to remove ineligible names also removes eligible citizens.
• The burden of proof may also shift onto the citizen.

Society

• Women, migrants, the elderly, tribal communities and the poor often struggle with documentary requirements.

International Relations

• Studies of civil resistance find that non-violent campaigns succeeded more often than violent ones in the 20th century.
• Martin Luther King Jr., Bayard Rustin and James Lawson drew on Gandhian methods in the US civil rights movement.

Ethics

• Gandhi used “genius” contextually, praising a specific contribution and not offering blanket praise.
• He also recognised that talent can serve good or evil ends.

• Democratic legitimacy. Gandhi treated the vote as a right to be protected, not a privilege to be granted. This explains why India adopted universal franchise at the start.
• Constitutional morality. His idea that the weakest voter must count matches the spirit of Articles 14, 325 and 326.
• Practical power of non-violence. Gandhi showed that organised mass non-violent action can be repeated by others, which is why it spread abroad.

• Special Intensive Revision (SIR): House-to-house verification of electors, started in Bihar and extended to other States.
• SVEEP: The ECI’s programme for voter awareness and participation.
• Appeal mechanism: Rejected claims can be appealed to the District Magistrate and then the Chief Electoral Officer. SIR decisions are also open to judicial review.
• Article 51: Directs the State to promote international peace and security.