Lok Sabha polls 2024: Who is winning the war of graffiti in Kerala?

“The letters were blue, and the symbols—sickle, hammer, and star—were painted in red on a newly built culvert on the panchayat road somewhere near Pazhanji,” recalled 86-year-old Unni Nair, in a feeble voice but his eyes shining as he reflected on memories of days gone by. “That was my first graffiti work, back in 1971, and the candidate was late communist leader ASN Nambeesan, I guess. I had just returned home from Calcutta (now Kolkata) after completing my military service. I used to draw and paint a bit, and my handwriting was very good. I used lime water to whitewash the wall and washing blue, brick powder to draw. It was the first time I experimented with the modern calligraphy I had seen on the walls of Kolkata, and soon, I was taken to many places to draw hammer, sickle, and star symbols,” he said. As Pazhanji spoke, his voice softened, reminiscing about his continued involvement in graffiti during subsequent elections, shaping the political landscape with his art. “I continued to do poll graffiti in the next couple of elections too, before the youngsters took over.” BJP candidate KS Radhakrishnan’s graffiti with his stencilled mugshot. Unni Nair, who lives with...