‘Voters Awareness- will strengthen the hands of democracy’ – K. Petchiammal, District Revenue officer, Trichy

SHG organisers perform a street play in Trichy.

Trichy24, March: ‘Voters Awareness- will strengthen the hands of democracy’’ said The District Revenue Officer K. Petchiammal, launching a campaign ‘a street play’ and Voting Machine demonstration in Trichy on 23, March. The members of well-known theatre group of  SEVAI  in Trichy has been engaged in creating awareness among the masses on the importance of voting and the need for ensuring cent per cent polling. These campaigns have been evoking good response from all sections of the society. It is the District Administration that has spearheaded the campaign as part of sensitising the electorate to their fundamental duty towards the nation building process. ‘The campaign has been necessitated to improve the percentage of polling in both the urban and rural areas’ Mrs.Peachiammal, District Revenue Officer of Trichy District. The beats from a ‘Thavul’a folk instrument in the background of a folk song were quite enough to attract many onlookers to witness an street theater awareness programme on exercising the franchise. The street play conducted focuses on the need of the masses to exercise their fundamental right to vote by electing the right candidate. Street plays and other modes of creating awareness about the importance of elections and the need for public participation in it draws good response among the voters of Trichy District. Street plays draw attention of voters and creates voter awareness among the electorate. The street play narrates, “ Every adult citizen has a duty, responsibility and right to exercise his / her franchise without fear or favour which he / she must do diligently and judiciously, to create a healthy, transparent and accountable democracy, free of corruption – to create an informed citizenry and provide good quality of life to citizens consisting of good health, hygiene, housing, education, employment, social security, etc. for themselves and their future generation and not based on any one time such as lure of cash or freebies which would last hardly for a day. The hour-long programme projected on to the public, the importance of voting and emphasised the need to exercise franchise. The 20 member cultural troupe headed by Mrs.P.Vanitha,SHG coordinator of SEVAI and Mrs.J.Amala of SEVAI, of Service Resource Centre(performed Kadayani, oyilattam, Pudiyabharatham, skits, awareness songs and folk dances, the cultural troupe consisted of differently abled persons and also transgender too. One of the women who were less inclined to cast her vote is conveniently convinced by others to go to the polling booth. The whole process of voting was explained.“Every voter should be aware of the ‘Part' and ‘serial number' where his/her name appears in the electoral list,” says a woman. A visually challenged person spoke on the facility and even appealed to other similarly visually-challenged persons to cast their votes without fail. The District Revenue Officer K. Petchiammal, conducted a demonstration on casting vote using electronic voting machines and said that the voters should desist from accepting any gift and should not avail themselves of any conveyance facility offered on the Election Day to reach the polling booths.

Mrs.P.Vijayalakshimi,Project officer 'Mahalir Thittam' said that SHG members should create awareness among new voters of exercising their franchise without fail during elections.Earlier Mr.K.Subramaniam, District Coordinator, Nehru Yuva Kendra welcomed the gathering and District Disabled welfare officer Mrs.Syamala proposed vote of thanks.  .-EtNS.