Gandhiji strongly believed that every adult in India should be given the right to vote. However, a few people don’t share his views. They feel that illiterate people, who are mainly poor, should not be given the right to vote. What do you think? Do you think this would be a form of discrimination? Give five points to support your view and share these with the class.

Yes, not allowing all the adult citizens of a country to vote is a form of discrimination. Every adult citizen of India has the right to vote for the following reasons.

(i) Being illiterate is not a reason for disallowing someone from exercising his or her right to vote. An illiterate person might not be able to read or write, but he or she may well understand what is good for him or her and for the society.

(ii) A true democracy is the one which does not discriminate amongst its citizens.

(iii) Every citizen is responsible towards the country, and voting is one of the ways of being responsible towards the country.

(iv) The right to vote is the birthright of every individual who has attained the age of eighteen or more.

(v) It ensures that every section of society has its representative. If the poor and the illiterate are not given the right to vote, then the disparities would only increase. For an inclusive growth, every group in the society (poor or rich, literate or illiterate) must have the right to elect its voice, its representative.