Former VP highlights need for informed& discerning electorate

: Former Vice President Hamid Ansari Tuesday highlighted the need of an informed and discerning electorate that is not swayed by majoritarian impulses imposing a single cultural denominator to homogenise a pluralistic society.

Speaking at a Karnataka government sponsored seminar, titled 'Conversations of the Constitution,' he said that the Constitution is a substantivesafeguard for democracy and must be nurtured for the efficient functioning of the federal structure of a country withdiversity and complex structure.

"There would require continuing adjustment and accommodation, as also an informed and discerning electorate that can distinguish betweenlocal/regional and national issues and is not swayed byperiodic unitary and majoritarian impulses, be it in politicsor in imposing a single cultural denominator to homogenise aplural society since both can upset the balance of our societyand subvert the very idea of India," he said.

Ansari also delved on the issues of sharing of resources, federal arrangement, social justice, devolution of authority and financial autonomy.

The seminar was called off after BJP and some pro-Kannada organisations protested against holding it, citing the three-day mourning announced for the death of Siddaganga Math head Shivakumara Swamiji.

The seminar, organised by the state Social Welfare Department and a TV channel was called off after the first session.