India could become a bridge between West and South, says former diplomat Walter Lindner. As a former ambassador to Delhi, he has some valuable advice – and words of warning for the “Old West”.
India is voting these weeks. And that should be taken quite literally: While in Germany one Sunday is enough to elect a new parliament, in India it takes six long weeks. To ensure that almost one billion registered voters all have a chance, the ballot is divided into seven phases. Around 15 million election workers are deployed for this purpose. They also travel across the country using helicopters, boats and horses to reach even remote areas in the Himalayas or jungle-covered islands. Because of these and other records, India is often referred to as “the largest democracy” in the world.