Want our votes? Give us playgrounds, say state's youth

As the election approaches, politicians often shake out of their selective amnesia and listen to people's demands. Kerala's youths, tired of unresponsive authorities, have decided to make the best of this situation by asking candidates to promise them something in return for their votes. 

For the past few days, flex boards and banners have been appearing all over Kerala with a common message. 'Do you want our votes? Give us playgrounds!' From Thiruvananthapuram to Kasaragod, sports clubs and local communities have expressed support for this sentiment. They have even taken the demand to social media with the hashtag #weneedplayground. So what’s behind the unique campaign? 

Why such a campaign?
Players of Yuvasakthi Football Club at Kumaramangalam, near Idukki’s Thodupuzha, have placed a flex board at their junction announcing the club’s decision to vote for those who will give them a playground. They have also taken it to their online pages. Vineeth KK, a club player and a physical education teacher, explains the reason: “When else will they pay attention to our needs? Even in the past, club members had raised similar demands, but those in power never considered them.”

The 10-year-old Yuvasakthi does not have a ground of their own to practice or play. “All we get is an hour on Saturday and Sunday mornings at a school ground here. But that’s not enough. We have many young players with good potential, who will benefit from proper training,” says Vineeth.  

Pathippara FC, a club near Nilambur in Malappuram, also took to social media with a similar demand. Club member Nasim Ali says the only available ground in the area gets flooded during the monsoon and other rainy seasons. “We don’t have good grounds here and are forced to depend on commercial grounds with artificial turf in these months, and they are expensive. Those who are in power can easily do something about it. So we felt it (the election season) was the right time to raise the need.” 

Spyroz FC, a club based in Sankranthi near Kottayam, also decided to make the request during this election season, after their repeated demands for a proper ground fell on deaf ears in the past. Club member Tanseer PS says: “We are playing on private property now, and all we ask for is, at least, to set it up as a proper ground with required permissions.”

How do parties respond? 
Though most political parties are still sorting out internal divisions over seat allocations, they have been responding positively to the youths' demands. Both LDF and UDF have responded positively to the Yuvasakthi Club, the Club members say. “Let’s see who does what and how well. Only then can we decide on how to go about voting in the local body election,” Vineeth says.

Spyroz and Pathippara FC also received affirmative responses from various party candidates, though all the clubs are waiting to see how effectively these translate into reality. Tanseer says, “The candidate in our ward is one of our neighbours. He is aware of our demand for a long time. We are observing how they go about it." Yuvasakthi Club is also ready to work with whoever is ready to help them, by checking out possible areas for a ground and studying them.

'Demand rooted in reason'
Popular Kerala football coach Dr Bino George explains why the youngsters' demand is rooted in reason. "The grounds are absolutely essential, and authorities have multiple ways to make them a reality. For instance, in the case of Kottayam, why not tap into the CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) funds of various companies and use them to build mini stadiums or grounds? They can even give these grounds to local clubs on lease, and then, the clubs can take care of their maintenance." 

He also notes that Kerala already has many grounds that aren't well-maintained, and sprucing them up could be a solution too. "Authorities can even consider reducing taxes for high-income individuals or groups who come forward to construct playgrounds. We all know that Arsenal's stadium in London was sponsored by Emirates Airlines. Similar partnerships can be formed here, too."