In a unique move to create awareness on the need to vote, a scuba diving company at Murudeshwar and Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) committee of Uttara Kannada are enabling scuba divers to display water-proof placards with slogans under the sea, in the surroundings of Netrani island in the Arabian Sea.
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Is this India’s most unique voter awareness campaign?
The company, Netrani Adventures, takes tourists for scuba diving to Netrani, which is known for different species of corals and fishes. The company offers its services off Murudeshwar coast from October to May. Netrani island is 20 km off the coast. The distance is covered in an hour in a mechanised boat. Divers are taken up to 30 metres deep in the sea.
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Company Managing Director Ganesh Harikantra told The Hindu that the divers (tourists) display placards with slogans like ‘voting is an important right guaranteed by the Constitution’, ‘voting is our right’, and ‘protect sanctity of voting’.
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“We hand over the photos and video clippings of the dive with our clients, who, in turn, share them on social media. Hence, the reach is vast,” Mr. Harikantra said.
The company has about 10 such placards with different slogans. The awareness campaign for the 2023 Assembly elections was launched on April 24. The company takes about 30 persons for diving every day.
Netrani island is about 20 km off Murudeshwar beach in Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka. | Photo Credit: MANJUNATH HS
Mr. Harikantra said the company launched this awareness campaign during the 2018 Assembly elections, and continued the same during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. “This year is the third time,” he said.
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The initiative is being supported by Mavalli gram panchayat I and Mavalli gram panchayat II.
Prabhakar Chikmane, Nodal Officer, SVEEP committee, Bhatkal taluk said that officials too had dived during launch of the campaign. “We had displayed an enlarged prototype of a voter’s card underwater while launching the drive for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections to reach out to young voters,” he said.
Mr Chikmane also serves as Executive Officer of Bhatkal taluk panchyat
Netrani Adventures is registered with the Professional Association of Diving Instructors and the Uttara Kannada district administration.
The initiative is being carried out by Netrani Adventures, which takes tourists for scuba diving in the surrounding of Netrani island, off Murudeshwar beach, in Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka. | Photo Credit: MANJUNATH HS
A tourist gets ready for diving in the water near Netrani island, off Murudeshwar beach in Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka. | Photo Credit: MANJUNATH HS
Former Deputy Commissioner of Uttara Kannada district K. Harish Kumar gets into the water near Netrani island, off Murudeshwar beach in Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka. | Photo Credit: MANJUNATH HS
Former Deputy Commissioner of Uttara Kannada district K. Harish Kumar signals that he is ready for scuba diving, in the water near Netrani island, off Murudeshwar beach in Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka. | Photo Credit: MANJUNATH HS
Tourists doing scuba diving in the water near Netrani island, off Murudeshwar beach in Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka.
Scuba diving in the water near Netrani island, off Murudeshwar beach in Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka. The area is known for being home to a variety of species of corals and fishes.