Kerala Assembly Elections: Towards a green election

Thiruvananthapuram: The movement started a tad late, yet Suchithwa Mission volunteers are doing their best, even using emotional blackmail, to make the Assembly elections adhere to a ‘green protocol’. The objective is revolutionary, to do away with the use of plastic campaign materials and to make polling booths and areas where political campaign meetings are held ‘waste-free’ zones.

Kannur had satisfactorily implemented the ‘green protocol’ during the local body polls last year. Before that, the district had effectively enforced the protocol for National Games and also for the Chief Minister’s Mass Contact programme. The achievements in Kannur seem to have emboldened Suchithwa Mission to extend the ‘green protocol’ for the entire state during the Assembly elections.

At this stage, when flex boards of candidates have come up all over the state, even Suchithwa Mission officials know that they can only introduce, rather than implement, the concept of ‘green protocol’. Nonetheless, they can clean up after the act. “We will clear Kannur district of all plastic campaign materials,” said Dileep, the Kannur district Suchithwa Mission coordinator.

Candidates in Kannur have also been given an alternative to plastic flex boards. Polyethylene. It is also a form of plastic but can be recycled. What’s more, the Mission has also struck a deal with polyethylene traders not only to sell the material at a discount to political parties but also to take back the materials after the elections are over.

In Alappuzha district, CPM candidate Thomas Isaac’s campaign, though it has used plastic flex boards in a big way, has made it easier for the Mission. “Isaac had announced that we ourselves will take back our flex boards and reuse them as grow bags. We will take back the flex boards of even our opposing candidate,” said Gopan Mukundan, Isaac’s campaign manager.

In most of the districts, Suchithwa Mission is using children to drive home the message to candidates. In Pathanamthitta, for instance, the Mission has posted student volunteers at the five offices of the returning officers in the district. “These children will greet the candidates with a sapling and will hand over the district collector’s request to make the elections environment friendly,” said K Sudhakaran, the district Mission coordinator.

The Mission in Thrissur has made children write letters to candidates requesting them to avoid plastic, thermocool and flex. The letter then has a line that could force a candidate to think hard. “If you use environment-friendly materials our vote will be for you,” the letter says. Children can't vote but parties know that parents listen to their children.