I remember the first protest I witnessed. An instrument had been stolen from the Chemistry laboratory in school but no student admitted to doing it. The principal pleaded in the school assembly for the guilty to come forward but to no avail. He then announced that he would fast until the culprit confessed.

Within five hours of the protest, the culprit came forward. In the assembly the next day, the principal described the student as the “hero of our school” because he had the “courage to admit his mistake”. The principal’s protest turned culpability into courage, making a hero of a man who pleaded guilty. Could a similar fate await the Election Commission of India (ECI) or the Election Commissioners (ECs)?

In the past few days, the ECI has made some hasty decisions that amount to admitting to its mistakes and atoning for wrongs caused by previous decisions. Is this a “change of heart” by an institution/individuals accused of heartless disenfranchisement?…