A conscience keeper's bicycle diaries

At a time when elected representatives have busied themselves with election work, touring their constituencies and luring the voters, here is a young man who is getting noticed for entirely different reasons.

 Accompanied by his bicycle, Gangadhar, who hails from Kandavara is traversing through the district trying to build awareness among the citizens about the upcoming urban local body elections and the Assembly elections.

With the aid of small pamphlets which read - “Do you want notes for your votes, or do you want a leader who can resolve your problems?” and “Vote without fail. But ensure you choose the right candidate,” Gangadhar is seen going around encouraging people to exercise their franchise.

Gangadhar has also learnt to engage people in debates and discussions on the importance of choosing the right candidate. He spends at least ten to twenty minutes with a group, before he cycles on to find the next set of people he can impress upon.

“During every election, voters are lured with inducements. Hundreds of assurances are given in party manifestos. But very few of them get implemented. It’s important that people learn to distinguish between what’s real and what’s not,” says Gangadhar.