Scores of ugly hoardings raise heads at Upvan event, organisers upset.
While artists and organisers of the Upvan Arts Festival at Thane are toiling to make it a success, the local politicians of Thane are also making their presence felt. In fact, when one visits the fest, the political hoardings put up by these leaders makes one wonder about what these politicians are doing at an art event.
On the way to Upvan Festival you cannot miss the political hoardings lining the footpath and road dividers from Vartaknagar till Upvan lake. One can see the faces of Shiv Sena MLA Pratap Sarnaik, Eknath Shinde, NCP MLA Jitendra Awhad and MNS leader Sudhakar Chavan on hoardings welcoming you to the festival. “These politicians are everywhere and one can see their faces plastered on all the hoardings wherever you go,” says an irate Joyce D’souza, a resident of Thane.
Agrees Nisha Agarwal who says, “These politicians already put up so many hoardings be it their birthday, diwali, eid or christmas. Even a small hoarding is full of their pictures,” she says.
Though Thane’s politics is incomplete without a mention of Sarnaik, Shinde and Awhad, their hoardings at the art festival are raising visitor’s eyebrows. “What are they doing here? They should have at least spared this festival,” asks Vrushali Karnik, Dadar, another visitor at the fest.
It is not only the visitors but even the organisers who are perplexed by this sudden political hijacking of the event by the local leaders. But they are glad that all this publicity is outside the venue. “Just imagine what it would be like if the hoardings were inside the festival,” says an organiser on condition of anonymity.
When we asked the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) PRO Sandip Malvi about the spurt of political hoardings, he said that the local politicians have come together to welcome the artists and people and it was a laudable effort. He, however, failed to provide information about the leaders paying money/fees for the permission to put up the hoardings. When contacted, MLA Pratap Sarnaik, said that it is not a political hoarding and it is meant to promote the cultural event.
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