Guwahati: Meet young IAS officer Keerthi Jalli, Deputy Commissioner of Cachar district in Assam, evolved a unique way to create awareness among the voters of the state, which will go to three-phased elections. Jalli has created an 8-km long rainbow on a street of Barak Valley town in Silchar, which has become a centre of attraction for the people.

There are seven constituencies in Cachar district where elections will be held on April 1. Around 12 lakh voters of the district will cast their votes in 1,834 polling stations. The three-phased elections for the 126-member Assam assembly will be held on March 27, April 1 and April 6.

As per the reports, around 3,000 people, including students, youths and women, participated in the ‘Rangoli’ making event. The exact length of the rainbow has been put at 8.13 km. The rainbow making process began on Sunday and was completed within 24 hours. “The main objective of making the ‘Rangoli’ is to create awareness among people about participating in our democratic process. People have spontaneously taken part in the event,” Jalli was quoted as saying by the media.

‘Rangoli’ is usually drawn on a floor or a road using rice flour, chalk, fine quartz powder, flower petals, grains or other natural materials. Jalli said as per the available information, the record for drawing the longest ‘Rangoli’ in India is four kilometres, even though her initiative is not to break any record but to create awareness among voters.

The Cachar district administration has also come out with a mascot -- Misti-- a young girl who appeals to the elders to vote in the elections so that her future becomes bright -- as part of the Systematic Voters' Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) campaign. A mega campaign is also being launched with the theme of ‘Nari Shakti’ so that the women also equally participate like men in exercising their franchise. /BI/