Unsung soldier of democracy and staunch advocate of electoral reforms Jagdeep Chhokar passes away at 81

Citizens are the masters in a democracy! - the message that greets visitors to the Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR) website also defined the life of its co-founder, Jagdeep Chhokar. A leading voice for electoral and political reforms in India, Chhokar passed away at 81 after suffering a heart attack at his home in New Friends Colony, New Delhi, in the early hours of Friday, 12 September. Before emerging as a thorn in the side of the political establishment, Chhokar built a distinguished academic and professional career. Trained as a mechanical engineer, he first served in the Indian Railways before moving to the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-A), one of the countrys most respected institutions where he served as professor, Dean, and Director in Charge. He also held degrees in law (LL.B., 2005), a PhD (1983) and an MBA (1977). He also taught in countries such as Australia, France, Japan and the US. The ADR, widely considered to be an election watchdog body, was instrumental in filing several key petitions before the Supreme Court. The ADR is among the petitioners in the ongoing Supreme Court case challenging the Election Commissions Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar. In an interview with LiveMint , Chhokar had said that half of Bihar could lose voting rights due to SIR. In an opinion piece in The New Indian Express titled, Bihar SIR: Doing the right thing the wrong way, he referred to names of thousands of migrants missing from the draft electoral roll of the ECI in Bihar. He said that it is necessary to take corrective actions in time so that this does not turn out as a well-meaning action implemented through wrong or inappropriate means such as the USs attempt to introduce democracy in Iraq. Talking about the situation of migrants in relation to the Bihar SIR he wrote, These people will not be able to check the draft roll for the same reasons as those which would have prevented them from registering. Consequently, they will not file any claims or objections. Their names will, thus, not appear in the Final Electoral Roll that the ECI will publish on September 30, and these people will not even know that their names are not included in the Final Electoral Roll, Bihar SIR: Doing the right thing the wrong way In a country where democratic rituals often mask unaccountable power, Chhokar stood out as a steadfast advocate for transparency. He devoted the latter part of his life to the pursuit of clean politics, earning the reputation of a crusader for his cause. As per his wish, his body would be donated for medical research. The world mourns the loss of the unsung soldier of democracy Politicians, activists and journalists paid tribute to him, remembering his strong stand for honesty and transparency. The passing of Jagdeep Chhokar is not just the loss of a man; it is the silencing of a conscience that spoke relentlessly for the integrity of Indias democracy, RJD leader Manoj Kumar Jha wrote on X. He further wrote that Chhokar believed that democracy is not sustained by the noise of elections, but by their fairness, transparency, and accountability adding that he reminded us, time and again, that clean politics cannot emerge from tainted processes. Cannot believe this news!!! The passing of @JagdeepChhokar is not just the loss of a man; it is the silencing of a conscience that spoke relentlessly for the integrity of Indias democracy. As founder of the Association for Democratic Reforms, he forced the nation to look into pic.twitter.com/Nv8IoKaxua Manoj Kumar Jha (@manojkjhadu) September 12, 2025 The loss of Prof Jagdeep Chhokar is tragic. He spearheaded the Association of Democratic Reforms, which has rendered yeoman service in maintaining high standards of electoral democracy. People like him and ADR are vital for questioning authorities, a healthy sign for any democracy, former Election Commissioner Ashok Lavasa was quoted as saying by the Indian Express . Journalist Rajdeep Sardesai called Chhokar a tenacious fighter for democratic/electoral reforms. You were not on any constitutional position, but you were the Chief Election Commissioner of the people, and this status is not attained by any Election Commissioner of India, wrote journalist Ravish Kumar who called Chhokar the unsung soldier of democracy. , ravish kumar (@ravish_journo) September 12, 2025 Who was Jagdeep Chhokar? Chhokar was widely recognised as a strong advocate for transparency in Indian politics, leading campaigns for free and fair elections. Under his leadership, the ADR led the legal battle that led the Supreme Court to strike down electoral bonds as unconstitutional in February 2024. The organisation also challenged the growing criminalisation of politics through several key cases. After retiring in 2006 from academics, Chhokar dedicated himself fully to democratic activism until his final days. Chhokar began his activism along with his IIM associate Trilochan Sastry, whose review of nomination papers of candidates in the 1999 Lok Sabha elections from Ahmedabad first raised serious concerns about transparency. He co-founded ADR with colleagues in the same year. Chhokar was 81 and is survived by his wife, Kiran Chhokar. Chhokars legacy lies not only in the laws he influenced or the court victories he achieved, but also in the example he set for citizen-driven reform. In a political climate often marked by cynicism and compromise, he remained a staunch advocate for transparency and accountability.