Tribal booths to be a big draw on May 10 polling day

Mysore/Mysuru: If pink polling booths are all set to be a big draw on the May 10 Assembly election by pulling the maximum number of women voters including the young and enthusiastic first-time lady voters, ethnic booths designed like tribal hamlets with colours, bamboo and wooden art pieces in remote locations of the district are sure to attract the tribal population, inducing them to exercise their franchise.

Mysuru (Hunsur, Periyapatna, Nanjangud and H.D. Kote), Kodagu and Chamarajanagar form the hub of tribal communities in the Old Mysuru region and the District Administration has drawn up plans to make voting tribal-friendly and attractive at the same time.

The role of SVEEP (Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation) in this election is huge as it is the one which has taken many initiatives to attract the voters to the booth and increase their turnout. The aim of setting up such booths was to attract tribals, who seldom vote and get busy with their routine work, to vote.

Select Ashram Schools located in remote forest areas have already been painted with typical colours used by the communities and are decked with baskets and mats woven by them using a fibre made from plants and bamboo. These ethnic booths have coconut fronds woven and neatly arranged inside.

This apart, artefacts that indicate a distinct tribal flavour are also placed inside the booths.  These booths will have all the basic amenities such as drinking water, sanitation, a primary medical treatment room, etc.

For instance, the ethnic booth 57 set up at Basavanagari Haadi Government Tribal Ashram School at H.D. Kote has been the cynosure of all eyes, conveying the message of mandatory voting. The common complaint of tribals is that they have only become vote banks for political parties and the elected governments and successive MLAs/ MPs have been apathetic to the implementation of                                                               the provisions of the Forest Rights Act.

“This time, we are asking them for full participation in the electoral process so that their concerns and demands are addressed. We are aiming for 100 percent voting and to achieve this goal, we are transforming tribal-dominated booths into model booths by decorating or setting up the polling station on the lines of tribal homes to attract and encourage polling,” officials said.