Mysore/Mysuru: The Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) programme of the Election Commission of India (ECI) has gathered steam in Mysuru in both urban, rural and tribal majority areas. Officers are building innovative campaigns aimed at maximum voter participation.

 For instance, a ‘dressing up to save democracy’ event was launched at Kalamandira this morning where over 300 Government officers assembled in colourful traditional dresses and sent out a message of how beautiful democracy is and how it is important to vote, exercising a primary duty as an Indian.

 Officers, including Secretaries, Panchayat officers, PDOs, Department heads and section staff, who usually work inside offices in their own cubicles and chambers, came out in open and were seen standing next to each other in ethnic wear. The idea is that everybody is equal and there is no hierarchy. While male officers were dressed  in white shirt, dhoti, shalya and Mysore Peta, women officers wore colourful Mysore Silk Sarees.

Folk troupes accompanied the officers and at the venue, colourful rangolis were drawn to send a message of maximum voting. A huge turnout on the voting day can not only change the election results but even prove the assessment of political analysts wrong, said officers.

 SVEEP Nodal Officer and Zilla Panchayat CEO K.M. Gayathri, Additional Deputy Commissioner Kavitha Rajaram, Superintendent of Police Seema Latkar and others were present.

 Civil Service Day

Today, Apr. 21 is celebrated as National Civil Service Day, to recognise and appreciate the vital role played by civil servants in the advancement and betterment of the nation. This day offers a chance to express gratitude towards the contributions made by civil servants to society.

 As part of the occasion, Abdul Nazir Sab State Institute of Rural Development had organised an event where pre-recorded audio messages on the importance of democracy, voting and the electoral system were sent to the students of Government School for the Deaf and the Dumb Special School, Tilaknagar.

 Awareness programmes on voting through postal ballot were held for Absentee Voters in Essential Services (AVES), polling personnel and all those people who are involved in essential services. Programmes are also being held at institutions like SJCE, government and private hostels and Sankalp Apartments to attract more and more young voters into the democratic duty and responsibility.

Rangolis, jathas

In the Taluks too, the SVEEP Committee is conducting various innovative activities to spread awareness on voting. The are taking out jathas, forming human chains, drawing colourful rangolis with awareness messages in various parts of Hunsur taluk.

The programme was organised by Taluk SVEEP Committee, Bannikuppe and Bilikere Grama Panchayats and NRLM Sanjeevini Okkoota. Rangolis with a message of compulsory voting was drawn near Sakhi Polling Booth in Bannikuppe Grama Panchayat limits. A jatha was taken out from the polling station to Bannamma Temple and a human chain was formed to create awareness among the general public.

Slogans like — Namma Matha Maratakkilla (Our vote is not for sale), Namma Matha Deshakke Hita (Our Vote for Country’s Good) among several others were drawn by the women volunteers of Sanjeevini Okkoota near Bilikere Bus Stand. Those gathered on the spot turned on their mobile phone torch and took the oath of voting without fail.

 B.K. Manu, Executive Officer of Hunsur Taluk Panchayat and Taluk Nodal Officer said “Election is a festival of democracy, the joy of which should be enhanced by voting without fail.”

“Those aged above 18 should compulsorily take part in elections considered as festival of democracy held once in five years. Voting is the right of all and they own the responsibility of strengthening democracy  by exercising their franchise,” he added.

Sridhar Assistant Director at Hunsur Taluk Office, Manjula Naragunda Taluk Programme Manager of Sanjeevini, Panchayat Development Officers (PDOs) Raghavendra Prasanna and Mahadevaswamy, Secretary Vedamurthy, Cluster Supervisors Farhat Bhanu, M. N. Praveen, Gayathri Vijayendra, President of Sanjeevini Mahila Okkoota were present.