Mumbai: Franchise wise at Kala Ghoda festival

Chaitanya Prabhu next to the sculpture

There is a bit of ‘poll, bol' rubbing shoulders with the artsy-hearty and cultural cognoscenti at the ongoing Kala Ghoda festival. A Mumbai initiative called ‘Mark Your Presence' has an installation at the SoBo festival dedicated to youth and their involvement in the democratic process. ‘Mark Your Presence' concentrates on mobilising young persons, especially to go out and vote, explaining the import of that ink on your finger and making the process easier for them. They stress through numerous programmes and projects that one should not be casual or dismissive about voting. It is the one, most powerful way to make your voice heard in a democracy.

The sculpture

The installation itself is a fibre sculpture, approximately 4.5 feet in height. It has a clenched fist that represents the power of youth. Chaitanya Prabhu, founder-CEO of ‘Mark Your Presence', said about the installation, "There is a bracelet band around the wrist signifying youth friendship and unity, and the finger marked with indelible ink is symbolic of youth involvement in the democratic process. The theme is to inspire this demographic to utilise their power for the protection of democracy."

The artwork has been conceptualised by Chaitanya's father, senior designer-architect Chandrashekhar Prabhu. It was created by murtikar Santosh Kambli, of the celebrated Kambli family known for sculpting the iconic Lalbaugcha Raja Ganpati idol through generations. Chaitanya Prabhu added, "Art can mean different things to people. Through Thursday, (yesterday) which is National Voters' Day, though many visitors did not know that, we had people coming in and talking to us about the artwork, what they thought it meant. We also helped some people to register for voting."

Eloquent art

Kala Ghoda visitor Imran Sayyed was struck by the installation's eloquence. He said, "The clenched fist struck me at once as it spoke of great strength. After all, isn't voting about strength and power? The power to be counted, and be a part of bringing about change." The 23-year-old professional added, "To go to the ballot is our basic, civic duty. We have been given a gift by the founders of this country, to be able to go to the polls and vote, one which cannot be taken away. It is also a gift that we must use with great care."

For Vidhi Rathi, 23, who visited the fair, the delight was in the detail of the installation. "It was extremely detailed," she said about the fist. "What struck me most was the bracelet or ‘kada' around the wrist. I think this was symbolic of getting a rural demographic involved in awareness about participating in the elections through voting. We do see an uptick in awareness in metro cities, but the smaller places, villages have to be much more informed. I looked at this piece and the ‘kada' from that perspective," she explained.

The installation will be at the fair till January 28 after which, Prabhu said, "We may take it to some educational institutions; plans still have to be firmed up about what to do post Kala Ghoda."