A day after organising the longest human chain on the Pamban Road Bridge, the office of the District Election Officer (DEO) organised the ‘lengthiest gallery of sand sculptures on voters’ awareness at ‘Dr APJ Abdul Kalam national memorial’ at Peikarumbu in Rameswaram.
DEO and Collector K. Veera Raghava Rao who had been organising series of voters’ awareness programmes and systematic voters’ education and electoral participation (SVEEP) activities for 100% voting in the April 18 elections, arranged the half a km long gallery of sand sculptures at the memorial on Friday.
Accompanied by general observers Narendra Singh Parmar (Lok Sabha) and Anand Swaroop (Paramakudi Assembly by-election), Mr. Rao inspected the sand sculptures, displaying an array of messages released by the Election Commission of India (ECI) to make the ‘festival of democracy’ a grand success.
“We have arranged 51 different types of sand sculptures, showcasing the power of Indian democracy, voting, the electoral system that prevailed during the ancient Chola period, stressing the importance of 100% voting and detailing the facilities made for differently-abled and aged voters to exercise their franchise,” Mr Rao said.
The sand sculptures were arranged at the Kalam memorial to create voters’ awareness to scores of people who visited the memorial on daily basis, he said. He also administered pledge to those assembled at the memorial to take part in the democratic process and cast their votes without fail. Mr. Rao congratulated P. Saravanan, teacher, Kalaiyur Panchayat union middle school who made the sand sculptures.
DRDA Project Director D. Getzi Leema Amalini, Indian Coast Guard Mandapam station commander M. Venkatesan, officials, members of self help groups, fisher folk associations and general public were present on the occasion.
