Email
Print
ShareBangalore: With the general elections nearing the voter registration campaign "Jaago Re! One billion votes" has just gained momentum. Covering 37 cities in India, the campaign by Bangalore-based non-profit organisation Janaagraha and Tata Tea is now using the platform of rock music to spread awareness about voter registration and the importance of participating in the electoral process.
Targeting the youth the campaign titled "Shut up and vote" will conduct free rock concerts by Bangalore-based band Thermal And A Quarter (TAAQ) across 10 cities in India starting March 20. TAAQ will play at Chennai, Kolkata, Delhi, Mumbai and conclude the campaign in Bangalore on March 28.
"We are looking to engage the youth in the electoral process through a medium they understand and respect, rock music. The concert will be open to all," said Jasmine Shah, campaign co-ordinator of "Jaago Re!.
To support this tour, a music video for the song titled "Shut up and Vote," directed by former Miss India and film-maker Rani Jeyaraj has been released. It will be aired on music channels and radio programmes. It is also fast gaining popularity on the website Youtube.com.
Jeyaraj said, "I didn't want to sensationalise this video by using very strong images. And I very strongly believe in this. I also believe that there is a need for a paradigm shift, which is getting more people to take things forward. I definitely will be voting this year."
Since September 2008, when the campaign was launched, the online voter registration site www.jaagore.com has seen 1.2 million unique hits and close to four lakh registrations.
According Sushan Dash, marketing head, Tata Tea, "This figure gives us a conversion rate of about 30%, which is probably the highest on the internet."
The Jaago Re team has been conducting intensive voter registration awareness programmes across campuses and companies. "As part of our outreach programme, we have covered close to 175 colleges and companies across India. We soon plan to introduce certification for corporates who have ensured that all their staff have voter IDs," Shah added.
