Rare honour for Dr G.V.G. Krishnamurty

Former Election Commissioner, Dr GVG Krishnamurty has become one of the very few Indians to figure in an American Publication as ?world'smost distinguished individuals.? New Jersey'sWho'sWho in the World in its edition for 2007 has included Dr. Krishnamurty'sprofile ?documenting the lives of the world'seminent? persons for their reference audience, according to a communication from the American publishers received here.

Dr Krishnamurty'sradical and revolutionary reforms pioneered and championed by him courageously, during his services to democracy in India, which is the largest democracy of the world, in his past tenure for six years (1993-99) seem to have been taken into account for his inclusion in the ?Who'sWho in the World?. Such reforms include introduction of whipless elections to office of President and Vice-President of India, de-criminalisation of politics, insistence on internal democracy of political parties, elimination of non-serious political parties and candidates, educational qualification to legislators, increasing the voter-awareness, introduction of voter-friendly measures like providing drinking water, first-aid, rest facilities for old, disabled and women voters at all polling stations during elections, inter-alia, that are being emulated in other democracies in Asia, Africa, Far-East and Latin America etc.

Further his unique and undeterred role, risking his life, in holding elections after a period strife-torn nine years, in the militancy and terrorist shattered States like Jammu and Kashmir, during which nearly 30,000 people were killed and in Punjab after six years of communal riots during which nearly 6000 people were killed, and his holding elections in highly volatile States like Assam, Bihar etc. also seem to have weighed with them.

Dr Krishnamurty, who belongs to Chirala town of coastal Andhra Pradesh, held high positions in Law Ministry of Government of India and was also a Member of the Indian Parliamentary Delegation to United Nations General Assembly, 1980, before becoming Election Commissioner of India in 1993. He was a member of Netaji'sbala-sena started in his school in 1945. He started as a media columnist and was later adviser to Deccan Chronicle daily of Hyderabad.