Wannabe Babus 'Seal' Deal With Retail Shops to Drive Home Message on Voting
TIRUNELVELI: The seal that the man at the counter put on the bill was not the usual ‘paid’ sign, but the insignia of a heart, with five words and a number embossed on it, reading Our Vote, Our Future. May 16.
The innovative seal is the brainchild of a bunch of civil service aspirants, who formed an organisation named Oli (light in Tamil), to create awareness on voting. The youngsters have started working for the society even before becoming a part of the government machinery officially. They are distributing the seals for free, with over a 100 in retail outlets across Chennai, Madurai and Tiruchy giving patronage so far.
Oli’s inception can be traced to the floods that ravaged Chennai in December last year. In the aftermath of the natural disaster that devastated the capital city, this motley bunch of youngsters joined hands and collected more than `1 lakh to help over 100 victims by distributing cooking vessels.
The satisfaction they derived out of their social work seems to have encouraged them to take up the mantle of ensuring 100 per cent voting in the upcoming Assembly election. After the floods, the wannabe civil servants decided to bridge the gap between government and the public, by identifying the beneficiaries of welfare schemes and reaching out to them directly. This social concern laid the foundation for their novel campaign, aimed at encouraging more people to exercise their right to franchise.
Recalling the experience, S Navaneethan, a founding member of Oli, says, “There were around 15 of us, who came together at the time of the floods. After the deluge, we decided to continue our efforts to better the society.”
Coming back to the seal, the design and the money burden was shared by the Oli members. They had envisioned two other designs, but decided to go with the one in picture, after finding traction among the retailers.
No it was not a cake walk, as the responses to their call were varied and at times discouraging. While the bigger chains insisted on obtaining sanction from the head offices, individual shop owners came aboard quickly.
Some of the stores that decided to use Oli seal against their establishment’s were: Santhosh Super Stores and Margin Free Super Market in Chennai; Vishal Hotel and Barbeque Bistro in Madurai; Mangal and Mangal gold jewellery shop and Sarathas at Tiruchy.
Navaneethan says those aspiring to be civil servants are eager to serve for the society, but seldom do they find the right avenues. Oli is the answer to their problem, he says. “The members get together in the evenings and discuss matters over tea,” he adds.
After the round of discussions over a cup of tea, two members are entrusted with the responsibility of bringing more shops on board.
Question why target the urban masses alone and pat comes the reply from the civil service aspirant in Navaneethan, “It was a straightforward decision. Election commission data clearly shows that voter apathy is more in these areas, including the State capital Chennai.”