Democracy

The dominant form of government today is predicated on the principles of democratic representation and a system of checks and balances. Communication between the representative and the represented has come to be mediated by the fourth pillar of democracy, which is the media. The media has to negotiate for itself a space in both the procedural and substantive processes of its country’s democracy. This involves not merely non-partisan reportage of electoral politics of the country or the geography it influences, but an inspired re-imagination of democracy as we know it.

• Changemaker
• Jaago Janmat
• Vision 2025
• Patrika Connect

Changemaker

Where it all began?

Although the nexus of crime and politics in India is an apparent reality, very few citizens feel compelled to reform this image by participating in politics themselves. Patrika took cognizance of this complacency and set on a mission to invite citizens with clean legal records to enter the arena of politics and electoral competition in order to sanitize its image from within. What took shape was the Changemaker campaign, which said:

Towards this end, the “CHANGEMAKERS: Heroes of Change” campaign began on 4th April, 2018 which gave itself the goal of ‘clean politics’. Through digital platforms such as web-portals and mobile applications the campaign has hoped to give back the onus of sustainable, healthy politics to the primary stakeholders of the country’s polity, that is, its citizens.

Our target areas

Crime in politics

Youth in politics

Corrupt Politics

How the campaign took shape:

• Registration of the common man as a ‘change-maker’ through a mobile application and website link
• Political education of college students in nuances of electoral democracy
• Seminars and debate gatherings in educational Institutions under the program “Swachh Karein Rajniti (Clean the Politics)”. The points of discussion were:
  • Importance of educational qualifications and age limit for candidates
  • Evidenced dedication of candidates to towards societal welfare
  • Eradication of clan and dynastic parochialism from political system
  • Pertinence of local residency of candidates
  • Disclosure of economic status of the candidates
  • Importance of familiarity of the candidate to the developmental trends of the constituency and the country at large
• Women Seminars to generate awareness about voting rights and participation in the political system.

Our impact story:

80 IN RAJASTHAN

59 IN MADHYA PRADESH

CHANGEMAKERS WHO CONTESTED ELECTIONS

48 SEATS IN RAJASTHAN

CHANGEMAKERS WHO WON ELECTIONS

8 LAC+ ONLINE VOTING PARTICIPANTS

MASS PARTICIPATION OF CITIZENRY

Testimonials

Jaago Janmat

Where it all began?

Voting in India often tends to descend into a superficial, procedural act creating a reality that is far from the true essence of electoral democracy as a celebration of citizens’ will. There exists an asymmetry of information with regard to knowledge among the electorate about the candidates contesting elections and their electoral rights in general. The result is a widening gap among the voters and the candidates who are meant to represent their interests. Proceeding from this understanding, in 2012, Patrika launched its ‘Jaago Janmat’ campaign in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, as a pre & post-election campaign, operating during various election seasons and followed up throughout.

Our target areas

Voter awareness

Public accountability

Measuring performance

How the campaign took shape:

Jaago Janmat included strategic and meaningful coverage of elections by focussing particularly on areas such as voter’s education, analysis of the backgrounds of political representatives, overall evaluation of elected politicians based on their good conduct, performance in assembly and development in constituencies, all efforts ultimately culminating in publishing a MLA report card. This program provided a platform for debates and discussion between voters and candidates and encouraged candidates to take pledge and lay out their commitments to the public. This way their accountability and connect to the electorate could be ensured throughout their tenure.

Key sub-campaigns:

• Janadesh Yatra: Janadesh Yatra, first launched in 2003 was the precursor to Jaago Janmat. The representatives from Rajasthan Patrika travelled to various cities and villages across Rajasthan and other states where the campaign was carried out. These campaign were mostly carried out in ‘Maruti Vans’ which was went around with messaging such as वोट जरूर डालें (Surely cast your vote)’. Patrika distributed lakhs of pamphlets motivating people to vote, editorials motivating people and front page editorial on the day of the election motivating people to vote. Penetrating even far-flung and remote areas of the state, the initiative created positive awareness on voter participation inciting citizens to pledge to not vote on pre-judged loyalties but based on performance of contesting candidates in the past years

  

• Loktantra ka Utsav (Celebration of Democracy): Meaningful, structured media coverage of elections with an eye on post-election agenda.

  

• Election Classrooms: Intended to empower voters with key knowledge about implications of various provisions pertaining to registration, candidature, code of conduct, expenditure, voting, NOTA, affidavit, nominations etc.

• MLA Rankings: Creation of a framework for evaluation of public representatives which includes matrices like good conduct, performance in Assembly and development in constituency. This measurement matrix culminates in the publishing of a MLA report card.

• Chunavi Adaalat: After Vision meets with prospective candidates, chunavi adaalats were organized as a dialogue between final, nominated candidates and select members of the public.

• Pratibaddhata Patra: Candidates were engaged in formal oath taking to commit to deliver on key promises made as well hold up code of conduct and active participation in the Assembly.

  

• Ground-intervention: Organization of street plays and vote-and-win coupon contests.

Our impact story:

4,311,871 new women and youth voters registered

Record youth and women participation

9.44% increase in female voters; 10.27% increase in male voters

Voter turnout in 2013 as against 2008

Female voter (75.52%) turnout outnumbered male turnout (74.92%)

Astonishing female voter turnout

15 of 20 seats lost by incumbent candidates/ parties

Disowning of caste/dynastic politics

2008 : 66.25

2013:75.67

Increase in polling percentage

Testimonials

Gallery

Vision 2025

Where it all began?

Vision 2025 is a massive grassroots campaign which gave itself the target of citizen engagement in vision building and agenda-setting for each constituency. Rolled out in June 2013 ( after huge internal preparedness, planning and orientation), the campaign stretched on till August 2013 with the focus on enabling interest articulation on the part of citizens and readying them meaningfully as active political agents before elections. The campaign hoped to aid the electorate to realize their latent potential as dynamic beneficiaries and find their collective voice. It also laid ground for a metrics by which to evaluate the performance of elected representatives.

Our target areas

CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT

VISION BUILDING

BOTTOM-UP DEMAND

How the campaign took shape:

• Vision Sessions: Vision building exercises were conducted in 520 constituencies across Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.

  

• Inclusive agenda-setting: In each of these constituencies, one meeting each was conducted with ten identified stakeholder groups viz. youth, women, senior citizens, professionals, businessmen, children/adolescents, farmers/ unorganized labor, bureaucrats, community leaders, politicians. Marginalized communities were also reached out to.

• Constituency Manifesto: Detailed vision documents were handed over to respective constituency candidates and a written commitment was exacted from them to deliver on these points.

• Vision 2025 Document: A compiled Vision 2025 document was handed over to the Chief Minister, Leader of Opposition and Party Chiefs.

  
  
  
  

  

• Follow-up: Commitments made by various candidates and leaders were relentlessly followed up and reported through media coverage.

Our impact story:

5,20,000+ people participated across 3 states

Huge participation

Vasundhara Raje and Dr. Chandrabhan included vision elements in their manifestos

Incorporation of Vision 2025

By Planning Commission, Directorate of Public Relations-Rajasthan State Commission on Urbanization

Campaign recognition

Gallery

Patrika Connect

Where it all began?

The edifice of democracy rests on sturdy foundation and peoples’ participation. When the subsets of society realize their roles and responsibility in governance and development, partnerships of varying nature take root and in turn increase the efficacy of existing representational forms of participation. Media has evolved into an effective tool of mediating this message, connecting people, mobilizing and motivating action, all with a larger vision of infusing present structures of democratic governance with new roles and meanings.

PATRIKA CONNECT is a campaign to restore democracy to the grassroots and build up a close-knitted network of citizen volunteers in the city wards. The primary purpose of the initiative is to engage them meaningfully for ward development. The tag line of “Aawaz do Halaat Badlo” (Speak Up, Bring Change) gave to the masses a call of awakened citizenry, connected them as volunteers and helped them aggregate demand around various issues related to health, urban welfare, roads, water, safety, environment, among others.

Our target areas

WARD DEVELOPMENT

AWAKENED CIVIC DUTY

CONNECTED ELECTORATE

How the campaign took shape:

The issues taken up were common problems that impact everyday life of citizens and that were amenable to simple solutions. The idea is to build up on these first successes and to take the movement forward to address more complex matters.

• Water (tackling issues of – wastage, leakage, misuse of booster – pump, conservation and rainwater harvesting etc.)
• Electricity (tackling issues of – power consumption, renewable energy, road lights, misuse of electric meters etc.)
• Road/ Civic Amenities (tackling issues of – damage, speed breakers, water logging in rains, safety etc)
• Health (tackling issues of – services at govt. dispensary, treatment at private clinics, need for counselling etc.)
• Hygiene (tackling issues of – garbage disposal, polythene usage, cleaning of sever lines, drainage etc.)
• Safety (tackling issues of security of girls within and outside homes, eve teasing, harassment, senior citizens, women, registration of servants rights of children, women, and senior citizens, tenants, vendors, poor people, pension to poor etc.)
• Education (tackling issues of – education of under privileged children, problems at government as well as private schools and academic institutions etc.)
• Crime (tackling issues of – nuisance elements, safety of senior citizens living alone, regular police patrolling, knowledge of helpline etc.)
• Rights (tackling issues of – consumer rights, child rights, rights of poor and disadvantaged, civic rights and responsibilities etc.)
• Environment (tackling issues of – environment conservation, plantation, wasteland utilization, animal and bird care etc.)
• Art and Culture (tackling issues of – artistes promotion, rights, forum, awareness about heritage, culture and arts etc.)
• Disaster (tackling issues of – crisis, calamity and natural and manmade disasters, first aid and disaster management etc.)

Our impact story:

Patrika served as the bridge to aid voiceless families such as those suffering from genetic blindness in Rajasthan’s Jhunjhunu district

Visibility to the Marginalized

‘Say no to junk food’ campaign in Shri Gandhinagar

Health awareness

Kuchaman city and Kanoi Park, Ajmer

Sanitation and Cleanliness Drive

Ana Sagar, Ajmer

Campaign against illegal fishing

Gallery