Jagdeep Chhokar: The professor who taught Indian democracy a lesson

In a country where democratic rituals often obscure the reality of unaccountable power, Jagdeep Chhokar was a rare and persistent force of transparency. The co-founder of the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), who passed away at 81, dedicated the latter half of his life to an unyielding pursuit of clean politics, earning him the moniker of a 'crusader' for his cause. His passing is a loss not just for the legal and activist communities but for the very fabric of Indian democracy he worked so tirelessly to mend.

A man of many parts, Chhokar’s journey to activism was an unconventional one. Before he became a thorn in the side of the political establishment, he was a distinguished academic. A mechanical engineer by training, he had a successful career with the Indian Railways before joining the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-A), one of India's most prestigious institutions. For two decades, he shaped young minds as a professor of organisational behaviour, a discipline that perhaps gave him a keen understanding of the systems and structures he would later challenge. It was in the hallowed halls of IIM-A that the seeds of ADR were sown, after a group of professors, including Chhokar, scrutinised the nomination papers of election candidates and were appalled by the lack of transparency.

This moment of civic indignation marked his true calling. What began as a small, citizen-led initiative blossomed into one of the country’s most consequential non-governmental organisations, wielding influence through meticulously researched petitions and relentless legal battles. ADR’s most significant early victory came in 2002, when a Supreme Court judgment, in response to their petition, mandated that all election candidates must disclose their criminal, financial, and educational backgrounds in a sworn affidavit. This single act of compelled disclosure fundamentally altered the power dynamic between voters and politicians, empowering citizens with the information needed to make informed choices.

Chhokar's activism was not a fleeting fancy but a long-term project. For over two decades after his retirement from academia, he remained at the forefront of the fight, taking on increasingly difficult battles. He was a key petitioner in the landmark case that led to the Supreme Court's decision to strike down the controversial electoral bonds scheme in 2024. His efforts in this fight highlighted his conviction that democracy, as a system, must be rooted in accountability and not shrouded in anonymity. He argued, with academic rigour and a lawyer's precision, that the public has an inalienable right to know the source of political funding, which he viewed as the lifeblood of a functioning republic.

Beyond his professional life, Chhokar was a man of diverse passions. A trained lawyer and a keen birdwatcher, he approached each of his pursuits with the same methodical curiosity and intellectual rigour. His commitment to public good extended to his final moments, as he donated his body for medical research—a last, selfless act that was perfectly in character for a man who dedicated his life to the betterment of society.

Jagdeep Chhokar's legacy is not just in the laws he helped enact or the court victories he won, but in the precedent he set for citizen-led reform. In a political landscape often defined by cynicism and compromise, he was an unwavering advocate for the principles of transparency and accountability. He taught a simple but profound lesson: that democracy is not a spectator sport, and that informed citizens, armed with facts and a determined spirit, can force even the most powerful to bend to the will of the people.

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