VOTEINDIA LAUNCH

HYDERABAD

25^th January:

A seminar on Best Practices in Service Delivery of Local Governments was conducted in collaboration with Konrad Adenauer Foundation and ASCI. The seminar was attended by chair persons of select Municipal Corporations and Municipalities, Commissioners of Municipalities, Civil Society representatives and Government officials. Dr Wolfgang Schuster, Lord Mayor of Stuttgart, and Mr Dirk Gaerte, elected District Commissioner of Sigmaringen, made a presentation on the various aspects of services provision under Stuttgart Municipal Corporation. Seminar participants expressed their views on quite a few aspects that could be emulated from the German experience to improve the service delivery in municipalities.

26^th January

At the event in FAPCII Hall, Red Hills, Hyderabad, a documentary ‘Who loses when India wins’ was shown highlighting the various concepts of the VOTEINDIA campaign. Later a meeting of the senior representatives of print and electronic media, jurists, civil society was held to sensitize the participants on various aspects of the VOTEINDIA campaign and initiate discussion on the same. There was a broad consensus on the need for change of political culture, and introduction of proportional representation with internal democracy in parties. However there was some divergence on the issue of direct election of chief executive. A similar meeting was also held at Chennai.

VOTEINDIA Campaign was then formally launched at a public meeting at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Hyderabad in the evening. The meeting was very well attended, particularly by a large number of girl students. These student volunteers and other volunteers who participated in the verification of voter rolls in Sanathnagar constituency were given certificates of appreciation. A cultural program presenting the basic concepts of the Vote India Campaign, through the locally popular performing art – Gollasuddulu, was also a highlight of the event.

CHENNAI

26^th January: The VOTEINDIA campaign launch event was a stupendous success. The campaign is spearheaded in Chennai by the Catalyst Trust. Dr. S. Krishnaswamy (Managing Trustee, Catalyst Trust) is one of the core members of the VOTEINDIA Campaign as well as the creator of the VOTEINDIA documentary. Nearly 400 people comprising a mix of distinguished citizens such as Mr. Era Chezhiyan (Former parliamentarian), Dr. M. Anandakrishnan (Director, Madras Institute of Development Studies), and Justice K.P. Sivasubramanian (Former judge, Madras High Court) as well as a large number of college students, participated in the event.

The highlight of the event was the VoteIndia Campaign documentary which showcases the culture of malfeasance in the electoral process. Speaking at the event, Dr. M Anandakrishnan, said that immorality in the electoral process was creating a vicious spiral which people and politicians were equally responsible for.

Dr. S Krishnaswamy, spoke about the VoteIndia Campaign’s Chennai chapters future plans. With Catalyst trust leading the Tamil Nadu state activities of the campaign, plans on the anvil include recruiting and engaging students from varied colleges and NGO groups, to spread the word of VOTEINDIA around. The film shall be lent to various colleges and NGO’s for viewing. Trained speakers present at the viewing shall then explain the campaign to the viewers and take forward the thought and actions process. Lead by Mr. R. Tesikan, Chairman, Catalyst Trust, comprehensive training camps will also be conducted for individuals who can then disseminate the message of the campaign to all in the state.