Sapna Kotwal
From engaging voters through adventure and art to focusing on increased participation, J&K is seeing enthusiasm thanks to the innovative SVEEP campaign.
As a designated Nodal Officer Media and looking after Sveep activities in Jammu and Kashmir, I was witness to the enthusiasm on the ground, particularly among the first-time voters, Persons with Disabilities (PwDs), womenfolk, and senior citizens and super senior citizens.
I noticed this while organising SVEEP campaigns across Kashmir by District Election officers during which I myself indulged in water rafting on the River Lidder in Pahalgam skiing on the powdery snowy slopes of Affarwat, horse riding amid rain in the picturesque locales of Betaab Valley, and blooming and colourful Tulip Garden in Srinagar and involvement of local public.
While being in the breathtaking locales was an experience out of this world, reaching out to the potential voters was even more satisfying.
SVEEPis emerging as a strong way to strengthen democracy in Jammu and Kashmir, particularly in Kashmir province which has had a history of low voter turnout in the parliamentary polls.
SVEEP, the flagship programme of the Election Commission of India (ECI) for voter education, spreads voter awareness and promotes voter literacy in India.
It is a multi-intervention programme that reaches out through different modes and media to educate citizens, electors, and voters about the electoral process to increase their awareness and promote their informed participation.
SVEEP is designed according to the socio-economic, cultural, and demographic profile of the states and union territories as well as history of electoral participation in previous rounds of elections.
The ECI produces several voter awareness materials and disseminates it through various mediums and platforms of communication including print media, electronic media, and social media.
The vision of the SVEEP is to enlighten, enable, and empower every citizen to register as a voter and cast her or his vote at every election in an informed and ethical manner.
The idea is to have universal and enlightened participation of citizens in elections and democracy.
During our SVEEP programmes in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district, we used some novel ideas like going for white water rafting in River Lidder and reach out to the population which usually remains left out in voter awareness programmes.
Our next stop was the picturesque Betaab Valley, formerly known as Hajan or Hagan Valley, a noted tourist resort near Pahalgam. The valley was immortalised by Sunny Deol-Amrita Singh debut hit Bollywood movie Betaab in 1983.
We reached out to the potential voters and informed them about the importance of voting while horse riding rally by locals was a thrill in rain and in sub-zero temperatures.
We also involved school children, both boys and girls, to reach out to the voters through their message and art.
I spearheaded a signature campaign encouraging a commitment to vote, which garnered a broad response. Additionally, I gave a lecture to educate people on the significance of participating in elections and avoiding abstention from voting.
We took snow scooters or skimobiles to reach Affarwat in Gulmarg at a height of 14,500 feet above the sea level and skied downslope over the powdery snowy slopes during the awareness drive to make it more interesting for the voters, particularly the first-time voters and the womenfolk.
We also organised cultural programmes involving the local artists who played traditional music, sang local songs, and indulged in local dances like Rouf.
The SVEEP campaign was also held at the Asia’s second largest Tulip Garden in Srinagar with 1.7 million tulips in full bloom. The enthusiasm of people was something to be seen as the potential voters were excited to take their pictures in the voter frames, promising to vote in the upcoming parliamentary polls to be held in Jammu and Kashmir.
The aim is to increase voting in the parliamentary constituencies where the voting percentage in the previous polls was less.
The SVEEP campaign was instrumental in attracting the interest of the first-time voters, who are excited to cast their franchise in the upcoming parliamentary polls.
It was also useful for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) who can also use the facility of the Saksham app to vote from home.
Women would also be provided exclusive polling booths whose entire staff would be women. The SVEEP campaign was also beneficial for the super senior citizens who were informed that they too could vote from home using the Saksham app.
During the campaign, the voters were also told that they would be able to mark their choice of candidate on the postal ballot without compromising secrecy.
As per Rule 27A of the Conduct of Election Rules, amended in 2020, postal ballot facility was extended to senior citizens above 80 years, PwDs (defined as persons with 40 percent benchmark disability), poll officers, and COVID-positive persons. The government revised this rule to raise the qualifying age for super senior citizens to 85 years.
Throughout the SVEEP campaign, our objective was to make voting an enjoyable experience for potential voters and boost their participation, especially among women. To achieve this, we engaged the services of social influencers and youth icons.
I amhighly thankful to the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), J&K, Pandurang Kondbarao Pole;Vikas Kundal Additional Chief electoral officer J&K, District Election Officer (DEO) Anantnag, Syed Fakhrudin Hamid; DEO BaramullaMinga Sherpa and , DEO Srinagar Mohiuddin Billalfor extending all possible help for making the SVEEP campaigns a success.
I am sure that the SVEEP campaign would not only woo the voters to cast their franchise but also make the voting process interesting.
(The author is the designated Media Nodal Officer and looking after the SVEEP, J&K)
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