In Kerala's political landscape, a couple of candidates have urged supporters to replace traditional floral welcomes with books, notebooks, pens, and pencils.
LDF candidate in Kollam M Mukesh being welcomed with books. (Supplied)
The message is simple but powerful!
Along with canvassing votes, a couple of Lok Sabha candidates in Kerala are spreading a pro-environment message by stressing the need to stimulate the brain.
They urged their supporters to avoid floral showers or garland them on the campaign trail. Instead, they suggested welcoming them with books, notebooks, and pencils.
The supporters have taken the message in good spirits, as seen in Kollam where the LDF candidate M Mukesh was welcomed with books and pens.
By mooting the change, the candidates are reminding others in the fray that their political journey should reflect not only their commitment to governance but also their responsibility towards society and the environment.
LDF’s Pathanamthitta candidate and former finance minister TM Thomas Isaac kickstarted the unique initiative, replacing the fragrance of flowers with bibliosmia.
TM Thomas Isaac’s post. (Supplied)
In a social media post on 30 March, he called upon party workers and well-wishers to consider welcoming him with a book.
“I am starting my tour on 1 April. I have a request to everyone. If you are planning to welcome me, please give me a book,” he said in the post.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s a used book. The books thus collected will be distributed to libraries by the MLAs of the respective constituencies after the elections,” Isaac continued.
He also urged party workers to shun plastic.
“Avoid expensive shawls. No plastic garlands or bouquets. A book or a flower is enough,” he asserted.
Isaac’s post gained traction among netizens. Many applauded the initiative. They felt that the initiative was emulating.
However, the CPI(M) leader’s post put troll factories in an overdrive.
“Beware, don’t him Kesari, a weekly Malayalam magazine of RSS. He might end up in BJP,” a post said in an apparent reference to politicians joining the saffron party ahead of the polls.
A day after Issac’s post, Mukesh came out with a similar one.
M Mukesh’s post urging supporters and well-wishers to present him with notebooks and pens. (Supplied)
He urged the party workers and well-wishers to avoid flowers, bouquets, and garlands while welcoming him.
“Instead, give me a notebook and a pen. They are the best tokens of appreciation,” he said.
The actor-politician’s post also received an overwhelming response.
“It doesn’t matter if you win or lose. But this initiative will help many underprivileged children when the school reopens,” a social media post read.
Some others did not take kindly to Mukesh’s initiative. “Brother, it doesn’t matter how good you act. Our vote is for UDF’s NK Premachandran,” another netizen said.
Meanwhile, the initiative seems to have clicked. On Tuesday, 2 April, Mukesh said in a post that 763 notebooks and 265 pens were collected during the campaign at Kundara.
The next day, 599 notebooks and 186 pens were collected from Chathanoor.
Those close to the candidate said the collected notebooks and pens would be distributed to the underprivileged children once the schools reopen in June.
Suchitwa Mission, the technical support group in the waste management sector under the Local Self-Government Department, expressed happiness over the initiative.
“The Green Protocol campaign initiated by the Kerala government has garnered attention and has now sparked conversations about sustainable campaigning practices across the nation. May this initiative be emulated,” the Mission’s Executive Director UV Jose told South First.
Suchitwa Mission is working with the Chief Electoral Officer to ensure a green election.
Jose termed such initiatives blooming examples of how politics could embrace a fresh perspective.
“It’s a welcome change. I hope all candidates follow this model. If so, the state will set another example for others to follow,” he added.
According to Suchitwa Mission officials, though floral wastes fall under the biodegradable waste category, they could have some negative effects on the environment if not disposed of properly.
“One major issue is flowers getting dumped into water bodies. While decomposing, they use up oxygen in the water, harming aquatic life. Additionally, pesticides and fertilisers on flowers could leach into the water, further polluting the water resource,” an official told South First.
The official added that in landfills, decomposing flowers would release methane, a greenhouse gas contributing to climate change. Another issue was that large quantities of flower waste could clog drains and waterways, leading to flooding and other problems.
Earlier, the Election Commission of India had called for conducting a green election and urged political parties to avoid traditional election materials that could cause environmental risks.
In Kerala, the CEO along with the Suchitwa Mission had released a protocol for political parties and candidates to follow environment-friendly practices during campaigning.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
May 02, 2024
May 02, 2024
May 02, 2024
May 02, 2024
May 02, 2024
May 02, 2024
