The Hindu : National / Elections 2004 : Call to `vote for the planet'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Apr 28, 2004

National

National - Elections 2004

Call to `vote for the planet'

Aarti Dhar

NEW DELHI

While the nation is caught in the election fever, Greenpeace India — an environmental organisation — has launched a unique campaign to bring environmental issues into the election agenda. The message of the campaign being "Vote for the Planet."

Greenpeace demands that all elected representatives stress on ending abuse of lakes and rivers from industrial pollution, and set the stage for a shift to clean production. Besides banning the use of pesticides and GM (genetically modified) crops, the campaigners want promotion of use of sustainable agricultural practices. Corporates should be held responsible and made to implement all national and international laws to protect the environment, they suggest.

Dressed like human skeletons, Greenpeace activists along with the local environmental groups of Kerala, interacted with the voters of Eloor, Cochin and Periyar, urging them to act for a better environment while making them cast their `vote' in a travelling ballot box.

"Environment issues, as the manifestoes of the leading political parties indicate, are a non-issue in the country. The main thrust is our election campaign that revolves around challenging political parties and candidates and to show actual concern for their electorate and the environment that they live in — a clear shift from their rhetoric on environmental pollution," says Sanjiv Gopal, a Greenpeace activist.

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