Many join hands for voters' awareness

A mix of NGO and entrepreneurs from different fields come together for a cause.

Even as the Election Commission of India (ECI) is creating awareness on the significance of voting, through the Systematic Voters Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) programme, other like-minded individuals and organisations are doing their mite to spread the message.

Srihari of GSS Foundation, a social service wing of the GSS Properties, along with Alert Citizens Team (ACT), an NGO, DRC Cinemas, a multiplex, Diya Properties, a property dealer, Chirag Ads, an advertisement agency and Paras Mobiles, a cellphone dealer, are been involved in the task, ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in the State on April 17.

The initiative restricted to the city of palaces is titled ‘My India My Mysore and My Vote’. Banners and posters, printed with slogans like ‘My Right, My Duty and My Respect’ have been either erected or pasted at prominent places across the city like Kuvempunagar, Jayanagar and Radhakrishna Avenue. The day of polling (April 17) and the timings (7 am to 5 pm) are also mentioned for the benefit of voters.

Starting 10 days ago, around 1,000 posters and banners have been put (around 100 to 150 per day), besides distribution of pamphlets among morning walkers at Kukkarahalli Lake and Lingambudhi lake, and tourist places, Srihari told Deccan Herald.

Around 15 years ago, Srihari launched the drive in Bangalore, by distributing handbills and pamphlets to educate voters. He continued the drive after shifting to Mysore, during the previous LS polls, in  2009. During the previous Assembly polls too, he did the same, but he took it to a bigger level, following the support extended by like-minded individual this year. 

For the first time, posters and banners are being used, besides making ample use of fast communicating social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter and also Whatsapp, with friends in the group told about the importance of participating in the electoral exercise.

Malavalli Shivaram from ACT said ‘As the ensuing election is crucial, with people having high hopes on a transformation, it was thought to contribute a bit and hence the very initiative’.