This beach party in Kerala has got to stop.

Memories of Shanghumugham, one of the more popular beaches at Trivandrum, bring a certain picture to mind – a quaint stretch of beach with views that enchant, long stretches of gleaming sun kissed sand, the occasional fishing skiff pulled up on the sand, and little groups of people, milling about the edge of the water. The much acclaimed sculpture of the reclining mermaid and the ‘starfish’ restaurant were more recent additions, that later became landmarks in themselves. The cycle park for kids, the uninterrupted views of aircraft taxing on the runway, and beetroot cutlets at Indian Coffee House facing the sea have only added to the charm of the favourite local haunt. The beach has been welcoming tourists and locals alike for years together now. Unfortunately though, the growing popularity of the beach has also led to cause for concern, given how unconcerned many of the visitors are about keeping the beach clean. The new trend of organizing political rallies that culminate at the beach have to have a special mention in this regard.

Why does a political rally have to march to the beach, I trying asking myself. Maybe they’re inclined, like everybody else, to mix business with pleasure. After all, the prospect of unwinding at the beach after a long hard day of protests can’t be dismissed completely. Perhaps it is their symbolic way of indicating that they have marched all across the state – as  rallies that start further north in places such as Calicut often come all the way to the beach at Trivandrum. But if it is a political statement they wish to make, wouldn’t the Secretariat, the shining spire of all things political, make more sense as an end point? They could maybe visit the near by zoo when they’re done. But no, they have to head to the beach, and leave behind very visible signs of having been there – plastic bottles and covers, assorted wrappers from packets that carried biriyani, snacks, and whatever else it is that they have at rallies,and not to mention – make-shift caps, towels, banners, flags, printed propaganda and bad political ideologies. Irresponsible tourism is bad enough, but this trend adds a whole new dimension to the plastic menace at the beach. A few thousand people descending on the sands at a go, and leaving behind tons of debris has irked locals and the civic authorities alike. It would have been nice if they could clean-up after they’re done like some organizations do, but when it comes to political rallies there is no such instance, say the locals. Most such rallies end up being eco-disasters of a large scale as far as the beach is concerned.

It’s not that the government doesn’t know how to make it happen. Recent events that saw large scale participation – including the school youth festival and the national games, were successfully conducted in venues that were declared plastic free zones. Then why the reluctance to curb political rallies from making a mess? Is it just that little kids and their parents are easier to regulate? The recently concluded ‘Kerala Yatra’ conducted by Vellappally Nadesan too culminated at Shanghumugham beach, and the outcome was no different. Clean up was left to the Municipal corporation and the citizens who live nearby. The civic bodies burdened with the task often take the easy way out, setting fire to the piles of garbage than carting it away. And as everybody knows, none of this is in good stead. Not for the beach, not for the visitors, and certainly not for a state that banks on tourism to keep the exchequer functioning smoothly.

If the government won’t, then it’s time the citizens took charge. There have been illuminating examples in the recent past of how thousands of volunteers took to the beach in Chennai and scoured it of tons of garbage. Vigilant government officials are also a big help – the case of how Calicut collector Prashanth Nair mobilized local support to clean up a lake being a shining example. It’s not that it can’t be done. It’s just that someone has to do it.

Before it is too late, hopefully.