EC to reach out to voters at garba events with ‘9 vows’ of democracy

The ‘nine vows’ campaign poster of the poll panel. 

Garba organisers across Gujarat are set to join the State Election Commission’s campaign promoting voter awareness ahead of the Assembly polls. As part of the campaign, garba organisers will ask patrons to take nine pledges — one on each night of Navratri — to help encourage higher participation in the electoral process, the District Election Officer (DEO) of Vadodara said.

The Faculty of Fine Arts of the MS University has also prepared a special garba, urging voters to “shed all inhibitions” and cast their vote. “Given that Navratri festivities are an important occasion in Gujarat, we have planned a campaign to create voter awareness during the garba events. We are holding a meeting with all garba organisers in Vadodara on Thursday, where we will request them to incorporate the nine pledges. We have also prepared a garba with help of the Faculty of Fine Arts to promote the idea of exercising the right to franchise,” DEO P Bharati said.

The poll panel has termed these nine vows as “nine promises for democracy”. These are getting registered as a voter at 18 years of age; checking voter details on electoral list; ensuring revision or correction needed in details of family members; not giving into enticement or pressure to cast vote; ensuring that all family members eligible to vote will register themselves as voters; encouraging youth, women, elderly, physically-challenged and transgenders to cast votes; ensuring that no voter goes without a designated polling station; acquainting oneself with VVPAT process; and promoting voter awareness on social media.

The MSU has composed a 6.20-minute long garba song, which will be released on Thursday. Taking a cue from the “common excuses” of voters who refrain from visiting polling stations, the Gujarati lyrics of the Garba state, “We will vote, we will vote… We have turned 18, and we will seek our right to vote… Many people say they will not be able to cast their vote as the queues are too long, what benefit will it bring… but we are a democracy and our vote is our voice… which we can raise once in five years…”