But observers only want to watch the election. They don’t want the official machinery backing them.
Crudely put, there’s an assumption that the native will be deterred by the white man if he plans to do something wrong. That principle doesn’t work in India. People will do anything they want to do. Our priority will be to allow the media, and the national and the international corps, free access. If it’s a question of having a lot of eyes, diplomats can travel as they normally do. As for the animal called observer, I’ve said clearly they won’t be accorded the status of observer. People from the Commonwealth group, like Britain, South Africa, Canada and Australia, who have the best electoral systems, can come. We won’t invite them. They can come in their individual capacity. If it is qualitative watching they want, they can have it.