New Delhi, Jan. 29 -- When Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar welcomed delegates from over 70 countries to the India International Conference on Democracy and Election Management (IIICDM) recently, the backdrop told a story that spanned more than three thousand years.

Sanskrit hymns from the Atharva Veda, dating back to 1200-1000 BCE, filled the venue, highlighting democratic ideals that flourished in Rig Vedic society through assemblies known as Sabha and councils called Samiti. The choice was deliberate, sending a strong message that India's democratic tradition is not borrowed from the West, but deeply rooted in its ancient civilisation.

For the international delegates gathered at what organisers described as the world's large...