Green campaign cries for consensus

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Leaders of major political parties have unanimously called for eco friendly campaign material instead of non biodegradable stuff like flex boards to project their respective candidates. However, all of them were of the view that a practical solution for this could be found only if all political parties would say a big ‘no’ to pollutants like flex boards and other such campaign material which could harm the environment.

This opinion comes in the wake of the renewed awareness of environmental issues in the State. Even religious leaders like the supreme head of the Mar Thoma Church, Philipose Mar Chrysostom had come out in the open with his views on environmental pollution.

When Pope Francis came up with an updated list of cardinal sins the Catholic Church would have to account for, one among them was environmental pollution.

In fact, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate of Kottayam, Anil Aickara has set a good example by announcing on Facebook that he would not use flex boards. Congress MLA, T.N.Prathapan, said the Election Commission should direct candidates against using such material. The Supreme Court too could play a proactive role by banning such polluting material, he said.

KPCC president V. M. Sudheeran was against the party putting up flex boards in his honour. The problem with such material was that it was not bio-degradable, Prathapan said.

CPI leader V. S. Sunil Kumar, MLA, said the party was for the use of eco-friendly  material like paper and cloth in the place of flex boards. “I tell local level party workers to go for alternative modes of campaign. However, the problem is that the workers go for flex boards when they see their opponents using them”, Kumar said.

BJP state spokesman V. V. Rajesh said political parties ought to convene a meeting to reach a consensus. The present problem was that if one party used flex, the others would also go for it, he said.

In fact, the BJP had discussed the issue at its party forum. Even at the last all India conference, the party had taken up the issue in all seriousness, he said.