As the State goes to polls today and every politically conscious citizen, rain or shine, casts his vote, a unique campaign - Show The Ink –urges those refraining from the exercise to participate.
An initiative by the Kochi Chapter of Young Indian (YI), a part of CII, it aims to stoke everybody above the age of 18 to go out and vote, to take part in the political process that is as much duty as right.
George Sebastian, Product Chair, YI and co-ordinator says that the campaign came about after deliberations when the District Collector shared with them data on the decline in voter turnout in Ernakulam district. “It was then that we thought of this campaign. It is a national initiative and many other cities have run the campaign successfully. Siliguri ran a Facebook campaign.”
A look at the voting percentage for the last Assembly elections, as shared by YI, reveals that Kochi (66.91) Ernakulam (71.64) and Thrikkakkara (73.62) pulled down the voting percentage of the entire Ernakulam district which recorded an average voting percentage of 77.63. It is also interesting to note that the State wide average was 79.11.
“This shows that the voting percentage in these urban centres is much lower than the expectations. This statistics validates the need for a campaign to encourage voting,” says George.
The campaign, he adds, offers voters who show the ink on their finger discounts at many eateries, realty and shops in the city, from May 16 to May 26. “The discount is not to incentivise the voter with a financial gain but we are recognising their gesture of being a good citizen. It is all about that.” He adds that the partners - eateries, real estate companies, doctors, clinics, shops and such – were eager to partner this issue plainly wanting to support the cause.
He and his group have been popularising the campaign, especially with youngsters. They held an awareness event on Happy Street (Theruvolsavam) a couple of weeks ago which was received very enthusiastically. That said, in this age of a vibrant social media, despite very vocal online activism, these voting percentages are a dichotomy. This time there are 56,000 new registered voters.
And there seems to be hope as long as there are enthusiastic first-time voters such as Parvathy Hari, a second year BSc student. She says, “It is the duty of every responsible citizen to register his or her vote. For me this is the only way to express my choice of leader, because for me the individual is more important than the political party.”
Sharing her excitement is Harikrishnan who will cast his vote for the first time, the first year B.Com student says, “When we vote we vote for ourselves; for development and for employment. I have my political leanings but here again the candidate’s profile matters a lot. I try to find out as much as possible about the candidates before I vote. There is no pressure from family or friends. The choice will be mine.” The youngsters take their license to vote seriously.
But going by the data, for every enthusiastic Parvathy or Harikrishnan, there are people like the cynical Vishnu Mohan. “I don’t have a voter’s ID. I didn’t think it made a difference. I was never interested in politics. I don’t think I will ever be. I don’t think it helps the common man anyway. Politics is just like business,” he says.
The state of affairs might not inspire them but to change you have to vote, young Parvathy believes. Of the not so encouraging figures the last time she says, “If the young generation did not participate in large numbers for the previous elections it could be because they felt that nothing much would change. But this time the scene is different. There are so many serious issues that need to be addressed and our votes will surely matter.”
Actor Srinda echoes Parvathy. According to her the dominant thought, going by some of what is on social media, seems to be, “it doesn’t matter who rules. Nothing’s going to change. And that mindset has to change.”
The actor takes her right to vote as a duty and has voted in every election, whenever possible, and hopes to this time as well. Saying nothing will change will also not change anything.
“Each vote has a value. Every single voter counts and we need to understand, the youngsters need to. A vote is a voter’s belief that he or she can change things. You have to believe that,” Srinda adds. As a voter, and a common woman, she aspires for change. Not for her personally but for the person she saw sleeping on the roadside and the many such others for whom government policies make a life-changing difference. This aspect which takes Srinda, full of optimism, to the polling station, keeps Vishnu away. He says, “The day there are no people below the poverty line, I will think about voting.”
Every vote is a symbolic signature on the social contract that is the constitution and it validates our being a democracy.
Priya Singh, a North Indian with a registered vote in the city sums it up with, “Campaigns such as ‘Show The Ink’ are commendable. Until we do not motivate each other there is a danger that people will take government formation casually and end up with the wrong people at the helm. Voting is as important as, say, getting vaccinated.”
Armchair politics exercised on social media is great, but it is time to get out and be counted.
