Thousands of banners came up in Bengaluru last month to welcome politicians attending the I.N.D.I.A unity meet. Just recently, the Karnataka High Court admonished the Bengaluru civic body BBMP (Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike) and the state government over illegal flexes, banners, and hoardings. In response, the civic body ordered their removal.
Tushar Girinath, the BBMP commissioner, said, "On the Karnataka High Court's order, we have directed concerned people to clear the hoarding and banners from the city immediately. When the case comes up for hearing later in August, we will be in a position to give a proper response. With celebrations happening everywhere with banners and posters, the Deputy Chief Minister has given similar directions to follow the High Court's order."
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, who is also in charge of Bengaluru, has said banners and hoardings will not be allowed in the IT city.
"Hoardings have been banned in Bengaluru by the act of city council and yet they resurface periodically. For four years, Bengaluru has been largely free of any hoardings, even during elections. Recently, we have seen hoardings making a comeback. I'm glad the Deputy Chief Minister is taking up the issue and issuing strict orders," says Srinivas Alavilli, a citizen activist from Bengaluru.
In any South Indian state, it is hard to miss giant cut-outs of movie stars that adorn the cityscape. It's a common practice to even bathe these cut-outs with milk when there is a blockbuster release. The outsized hoardings are no longer confined to movie stars. Politicians have also embraced the trend. The unfortunate outcome of this 'larger-than-life' practice is accidents, obscured visibility, and unbecoming neighbourhoods.
Despite the ban by courts and civic bodies, political parties, fan clubs, and others continue to violate the rules. Many states have now put up boards near airports wishing those flying abroad to study, work or live.
The evolution of the banner culture can be traced to the profusion of actor-politicians in the South. Since the promotion of their movies was largely dependent on banners and cutouts, the practice spilled over to their stint in politics.
In no time, fan clubs started putting up giant-size banners and worshipping these stars. The bigger the cut-out or size of the banner, the more popular the star. When they debuted in politics, the stars used banners and posters to outline their ideology and influence fans who turned into their loyal political followers.
Srinivas, reflecting on the hoarding culture, says, "Politics and cinema are intertwined. Politicians want to be seen by the people and please their leaders. Banners are used to project themselves as local leaders and the cheap cost of flex printing enabled this culture."
Billboards and advertisements by roads are against the rules of the Indian Roads Congress, the law-making arm of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. The guidelines specifically say signs and signals cannot carry ads. Traffic signals cannot be used to put up boards, placards, cloth banners or sheets, as they hang across the road and distract the attention of drivers and are, therefore, hazardous.
In Chennai, the death of a 23-year-old techie Subhasri after a hoarding fell on her in 2021, led to a sharp response from the Madras High Court.
"The GCC (Greater Chennai Corporation) had allowed some 40 places for hoardings but illegal hoardings are aplenty. The GCC fines Rs.25,000 as penalty for each illegal hoarding, but the civic body's watchdog function is poor. Big cut-outs are allowed at grounds where political rallies are held, but only by permission. The rules are still broken. Hoardings are also not allowed outside educational institutions, important places of worship, hospitals, at road corners or street junctions, and in front of places of historical or aesthetic importance. Yet we see rule-bending, largely for local reasons," said MR Venkatesh, a senior journalist from Chennai.
Over the years, hand-painted banners and cut-outs have been replaced by digital images reproduced on cheap flex boards. The biggest problem with flex is its disposal; it is made of PVC material, which is not biodegradable. In fact, the Election Commission of India has given directions to use only eco-friendly campaign material during elections. Hyderabad, too, sees a rampant use of flexi hoardings.
"During rain, hoardings and banners fall on the roads, endangering the lives of people. Plastic flexes fall in drains and choke them, which is a big menace. The impression seems to be that the more banners and hoardings they put up, the more impressed will be the leaders. Now even common people have started wishing birthdays to family members by putting up posters in their streets. Even after the event, banners are left lying at the venue. Strict penalty and awareness are the need of the hour," says Bhushan Reddy, a Hyderabad-based activist.
While civic awareness and politics will seem to be aligned with directions of various courts, it is the peoples' participation which will eventually yield results. Once that happens, it will be a gamechanger.
(Bharti Mishra Nath is a senior journalist)
Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the authors.