Bizarre and weird symbols!
Musical instruments, Diesel pump, ladies wallets, AC, dish antenna, Wardrobe, auto-rickshaws, balloon, filled fruit baskets, bat, battery flashlight, belt, black boards, bottle, bread, briefcases, brushes, buckets, cake, calculator, camera, candle, caroms Board, carpet, carrots, cauliflower, ceiling fan, Chess Board, slippers, coats, coconut, bunk, cups and plates, DAO, diesel pump, dish antenna, Doli House, envelope, funnel phrak, frying pan, flute,, gas cylinder, Gas stove, glass, grape, green peppers, harmonium, headpiece, helmets, hockey and ball, ice cream, press, kettle, kite, ladies wallets, letter box, nail cutter, grind, neck tie, pen stand, pen, pencil sharpener, pin, plate stand, haandi, pressure cooker, razor, refrigerators, ring, saws, scissors, sewing machine, shuttle, stethoscope, stool, table and window. Whew!
You would be wondering what is this list of daily use items? Well, believe it or not, these are election symbols allotted by the Election Commission of India (ECI) to 30 registered unrecognised political parties and Independent candidates contesting the ensuing polls in the State. Cake? Nail cutter? Ice cream? Seriously?
Indeed this is the great Indian comedy circus of election. You not only get bizarre people as leaders but one has to tolerate these weird symbols too!
Ever wondered why we have these symbols? Well, they were started way back in 1950-52 when literacy was limited and symbols were the pictoral way to make people remember the party whom they can vote. Today, people are educated and over two third of the population is literate. But despite that symbols stay and grow as they have become an indelible part of our elections, a tool used by politicians to connect to the people.
The EC releases a list of some 100 symbols from which parties can make a choice. This time 87 symbols were released. Earlier, usage of birds and animals was allowed but concerns voiced by animal rights activists now no longer allow this. Yet, a nail cutter? Plate stand? Ewwwww…..