Strong sea breeze sweeps Sveep message inland

MANGALORE: A strong sea breeze sweeping in literally laid waste to best laid plans on part of the Dakshina Kannada district administration to spread the message of voting. A Cessna aircraft roped in by the Systematic Voters' Education And Electoral Participation (Sveep ) to drop pamphlets did its job. But the breeze swept them far inland.
The aircraft that did three sorties over Panambur beach dropped pamphlets flying parallel to the beach rather than over the sea.This only ensured that the vital message contained in these pamphlets on the need to vote in the general elections lay scattered in uninhabited and restricted areas far removed from the reach of common voters. Yet the Cessna aircraft created a buzz among tourists who visited beach in huge numbers.
On the ground, the district administrations volunteers created a small path on the edge of the sea wide enough for a group of motley runners to take part in the beach run.
Sharanappa SD, superintendent of police, flagged off the run in the presence of deputy commissioner A B Ibrahim and ZP CEO and Sveep committee Thulasi Maddineni. He also joined a few steps with the runners before allowing them to sprint to the finish line.
A few feet away from where the run took place, a group of actors in their resplendent yellow t-shirts and black pants suddenly planted themselves amidst the milling crowd and went about performing a 'beach' play extolling the virtues of voting. Armed with drums, placards and acting skills, the motley crew ensured that the visitors internalised the message of what it means to vote in a democracy of the size of India and its importance to them.
Ajith Kumar Hegde Shanady, commissioner, Mangalore City Corporation, and nodal officer for expenditure said the district administration has carried out a survey of households in Mangalore City South assembly constituency that failed to turn up to the polling stations in the assembly elections held in May 2013. Reasons for them not doing so, Hegde said varied from a stunning "too busy" to ill-health and distance to the polling station.
Ibrahim said the district administration is pulling out all stops to ensure that voters in Dakshina Kannada participate enthusiastically in the electoral process. However, acknowledging that it is not a perfect world, he said even the best of efforts will not draw all the registered voters to the polling stations on April 17.
"Yet, even if there is a perceptible positive change in the voter turnout, the whole effort is worth it," he added.