Robot, laptop, pen drive find place beside tractor, bullocks on EC’s poll symbol list
Times of India | 30 May 2024
Kolkata: New-age symbols of gadgets and appliances, such as robot, laptop, desktop, pen drive, CCTV camera, vacuum cleaner and air-conditioners, have made into Election Commission’s list, jostling space with traditional ones, like, tractor, sugarcane farmer and a diesel pump. The co-existence of the symbols from the two worlds indicated an attempt to balance the “rural and urban” elements, said political scientists.They were also indicative of an appeal to the urban electorate, the number of which have been rising.
While legacy parties, like Trinamool, Congress, BJP and AAP, have their established symbols, independent candidates or new political outfits are allotted new symbols from among the EC inventory. “Till even two decades ago, the symbols would be icons of a sugarcane farmer, a pair of bullocks in the field, a hand cart, a diesel pump, the typical icons of the hinterland. Now, by adding the icons of a laptop, a robot and CCTV cameras to the list, the EC is trying to strike a balance between the rural and urban divide,” said Gourab Ghosh, a professor of political science at a city college.
The EC maintains a list of hundreds of symbols, which represent different aspects of the country, from vegetables to musical instruments to vehicles. “The symbols are a metaphor of how India has changed and is changing. Things like a pen drive and a CCTV camera did not used to be part of our day-to-day lexicon but now, they are polling symbols, given their relevance in voters’ life. This reflects on how so many new gadgets, appliances and equipment have entered our daily lives,” said Sreya Sen, a sociologist.
According to some politicians, not only has the number of urban voters increased but gadgets and appliances, which were previously identified as “urban” elements, have now reached the rural areas, too. “Most people in small towns and villages use earphones, have desktops and use mobiles. So they have instant recall value among both urban and rural voters,” said an MLA.