Billboard Nation: Drowning in Political Clutter

India's cities are drowning in political posters. It's time to reclaim public spaces from vanity billboards and restore beauty, order, and meaning to our urban landscapes.

- KHUSHBU JAIN

Welcome to the Great Indian Political Reality Show Take a stroll through any city or town in India and you might wonder if you have wandered onto the set of a never-ending political reality show. Bus stops, lamp posts, traffic circles, boulevards, trees, even the humble public toilet wall and not to forget dustbins—everywhere you look, giant faces of politicians beam down at you. Some are celebrating birthdays, others are congratulating themselves for being elected (again) and a few seem to be just reminding you they exist, in case you forgot overnight.

The Price We Pay It is not just an eyesore. These banners block important information, distract us while driving and sometimes even fall onto the road during a storm, causing accidents and chaos. The materials used are almost never eco-friendly, so once the birthday is over or the event forgotten, all that plastic and vinyl just adds to our already overflowing landfills.