Shashi Tharoor has described him as a conscience-keeper of the Republic. On 24 July, S.Y. Quraishi, who served as India’s 17th Chief Election Commissioner, will present a collection of personal stories at the India International Centre in New Delhi. The event for the book “India and I: A Hundred Memories, Not a Memoir,” issued by Hachette India, takes place in the centre’s Multipurpose Hall. Tea begins at 6 pm, followed by the programme at 6.30 pm. Former Union Minister and MP Kapil Sibal will attend as chief guest. Actor and broadcaster Sunit Tandon will read from the book. Senior journalist Rajdeep Sardesai and Tribune Editor-in-Chief Jyoti Malhotra will join Quraishi for a discussion. Copies can be pre-ordered on Amazon and will also be available for purchase at the venue. Quraishi, born in Delhi in June 1947, is a 1971-batch IAS officer from the Haryana cadre. He held the post of Chief Election Commissioner from July 2010 to June 2012. He earned a PhD in communications and social marketing after studying at St. Stephen’s College, Delhi University and Jamia Millia Islamia. Prior to becoming CEC, he served as Secretary in the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. His previous works include “An Undocumented Wonder: The Making of the Great Indian Election” and “Old Delhi: Living Traditions.” The new volume differs in style, offering one hundred separate episodes rather than a conventional chronological account. Passages released before the launch show an intimate and anecdotal tone. One section recalls a 2023 meeting in Dhaka involving election observers from several countries. Another describes a 2012 controversy during Uttar Pradesh assembly polls when the Election Commission censured a law minister for breaching the model code of conduct. The launch coincides with Quraishi’s public remarks on the current Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. In an interview, he stated that the process appeared aimed more at exclusion than accuracy and had disrupted free and fair elections. His comments carry weight due to his prior role leading the national election machinery.
