SHILLONG: Music can be an important tool to strengthen democracy and the response to the soiree organised by the Election Department on Friday was testimony to it.
#GoVote Open Mic, a musical campaign of the department that started in March to connect to young voters and mitigate urban electorate’s fatigue, was held at Café Shillong where Chief Electoral Officer Frederick R Kharkongor addressed visitors for the first time.
The footfall at the café for ‘the musical evening with a message’ was impressive. Kit Shangpliang of Summersalt and Jo Shandy not only made their audience groove but also gave them a food for thought.
Speaking on the occasion, Kharkongor said the ratio of enrolment of young electorate is higher in Meghalaya than in other parts of the country.
“The figure is likely to go up once the final tabulation of young voters, who have attained the age of 18 years and who have recently enrolled in the electoral rolls, is done. We are expecting that the figure will touch 80,000 who will cast their votes on April 11,” he added. There are 76,782 first-time voters registered so far. Many members of the creative community were present at the event.
Lauding the initiative, Summersalt’s Gregory F Nongrum said that the CEO picked music as a medium to communicate the democratic importance of voting “is very encouraging to the arts community here” and so quintessentially Shillong.
Another prominent artiste, Lamphang Syiemlieh, spoke with conviction on the need to vote, “I appeal to all people to do their part by voting because this is the result of their awareness on rights. Come April 11, Go Vote.”
#GoVote Open Mic was held at prominent cafes like Mellow Mood, Hashtag, You & I Café, Dylan’s Café and Evening Club. Both Khasi and English songs are being used for the musical awareness campaign.
“We have always believed that a drop of water is what makes the ocean, but some of us have not been able to translate that into how our single vote matters in the ocean of a billion votes. This time we have to get it right. Go Vote,” said Shangpliang.
Kharkongor described the event as “a kind of creative engagement and dialogue which would motivate the youth to go and vote”. He said news of the event would be spread through social media for wider reach.
“The meeting today (on Friday) was very refreshing and uplifting. As we stage these kinds of events on a physical space we are also aware of the rippling effects on the social media space with much more realistic impact on every young voter,” he added.
