The chariot of the elections begins to roll this morning. The people of 140 different constituencies, spread over 13 states and 3 Union territories, will elect their representatives to the 14th Lok Sabha. It has now become a cliché to describe elections in India as the biggest experiment in democracy. But like most clichés, it is true. The word, “biggest”, applies to the number of persons who will cast their ballots and to the geographical spread of the democratic exercise. It has also become fashionable to describe the Indian elections as a great carnival. Indian elections do indeed have some of the features associated with carnivals. There is colour, noise, a sense of participation and even a dash of ritual. But unlike a carnival, elections are not occasions for merriment only. When ordinary people press the electronic button to choose their member of parliament, they are, for all practical purposes, deciding their own futures and their country’s. For people residing deep in the rural world of India, elections are the only times when their lives and their choices have a direct impact on the functioning of political society in India. For many, casting the vote is their last remaining political right. For such people, elections are much more than either an experiment or a carnival. The pressing of one button is a commitment for the future. This is why elections in India are fought under the sign of earnestness.

Appearances can often be deceptive, but it does seem that campaigning for this round of elections has been somewhat lacklustre. The trail has not raised too much dust despite the yatra of the deputy prime minister, Mr L.K. Advani. No major national issue has emerged as the focus of the campaign. The Bharatiya Janata Party, the driver of the National Democratic Alliance, has concentrated on the “foreign origin” of Ms Sonia Gandhi and on the personality of Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee. These can hardly be described as issues of great import and consequence. In many ways, this general election is sans issue, and it is this that has made the first round of campaigning rather tame. Another reason is, of course, the weather. But there have been previous occasions when heat has not dried up enthusiasm, but this time it has affected the campaign. This suggests that the heat is only an alibi. The real reason, one fears, is the absence of an issue which can rouse the imagination and passion of the electorate. Indian voters have been known, in the past, to make fools of analysts. They might surprise everybody this time by turning up in large numbers to make up for the lack of enthusiasm in the campaign.