India, Oct. 5 -- It is not the rich or the educated who have kept Indian democracy thriving. It is, more often than not, the poor. Let me begin with an anecdote.

This happened in the 1990s. I was then an editorial writer with a national daily. About a dozen of us had assembled for the editorial conference, where subjects were discussed and assigned to writers.

It was election day in Delhi. I asked a mischievous question: "How many of us have voted today?"

Nobody could lie. Anyone who had voted would have an indelible mark on the forefinger. Only two or three could show their fingers.

Think about it. All of us were educated. Given a chance, we could have written a thunderous editorial about declining voter turnout and the dangers it p...