SHILLONG, FEB 14: “Love is in the air” so is the Meghalaya assembly elections! Even as couples share their love by exchanging gifts, roses and kisses, the Meghalaya state election department could not have asked for a more befitting occasion than the Valentine’s Day to spread the message among the youths to exercise their voting rights and take the road to the polling booths on February 23 to cast their vote with their lover in tow, if possible.
So “My Vote, My Love” became a theme for the Meghalaya election department headed by the Meghalaya Chief Electoral Officer P Naik who thought of piggy-riding on the Valentine” Day fever that has gripped Shillong on Thursday and spread the message to the youths to cast their valuable vote on the polling day.
The election department seems to believe that if it wants its message to reach the youths then better communicate in their language. And “Love” is a universal language those youths, irrespective of ethnic, language, religion, class and caste can easily understand.
But, then “Love” without “Music” seems to be as dry as the desert. And lo! the election department thought of a musical evening just beside the stall it had erected- selling roses and encouraging lovers to drop in a love note as part of the competition to those who came to buy roses for their lover- in the city center Khyndailad (Police Bazaar) where musical bands will be dishing out songs that will inevitably revolves around “love.”
Naik says the function is part of the Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation or SVEEP programme to spread awareness on the importance of voting, especially among the youths.
A young couple Mark Marbaniang and Stella Dkhar were just “wow” when they saw that the stall and the stage for the evening musical extravaganza were of the election department. Buying roses on sale, Mark said, “Wow, the government also is getting creative, will surely walk to the polling booth on February 23 to cast my vote, she (point to his girl) can decide for herself.”
Even as you are reading this article, Khyndailad must be rocking with music and love. Surely you will not want to miss love floating in the air at the city center more so when it is accompanied by songs and music. – By Our Reporter
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