Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, election officials are organising street plays in five districts to raise awareness about the democratic process among the tribal communities.
The plays will be staged in the tribal ‘Oorus’ in the districts of Thiruvananthapuram, Pathanamthitta, Idukki, Palakkad and Wayanad by Kudumbashree workers.
Launching the programme at the Kuttichal panchayat in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Teeka Ram Meena urged tribal communities to actively participate in the democratic process by fearlessly exercising their franchise in the upcoming elections.
The democratic exercise should be celebrated like a festival in the tribal villages, he said.
Apart from encouraging the tribal communities to cast their votes, the plays are also aimed at creating awareness about the electronic voting machines (EVM) and the Voter verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT), Mr. Meena said.
Stern action
He also promised stern action against people who try to unfairly influence tribal voters.
Booth-level officers have been asked to ensure that no voter from the tribal areas is left out from the voters’ lists. The tribals can also use the toll-free number 1950 to clear doubts regarding the election process, he said.
At Kuttichal, the play was staged by Kudumbashree workers.
District collector K. Vasuki presided over the function. Additional CEO B. Surendran Pillai, Kudumbasree programme officer K. V. Pramod and Kuttichal grama panchayat secretary M. A. Binduraj were also present.