{"id":62896,"date":"2020-11-18T20:27:44","date_gmt":"2020-11-18T18:27:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.grapheine.com\/graphic-design-en\/inde-logos-politiques-banalite-tres-originale"},"modified":"2022-10-04T17:31:47","modified_gmt":"2022-10-04T15:31:47","slug":"india-political-logos-very-original-banality","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.grapheine.com\/en\/graphic-design-en\/india-political-logos-very-original-banality","title":{"rendered":"In India, the political logos are of a very original banality"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Logo<\/p>\n

India is the largest democracy on Earth with 814 million voters (out of 1.2 billion inhabitants). Among them, 1\/4 are totally illiterate and another quarter do not read well enough. So, when it comes to elections, we have to find ways to gather voters under a relevant political logo<\/strong>. Two questions surface: how to ensure that people who cannot read elect the \"right\" political party, and, how to avoid fraud? India has come up with two unique solutions.<\/p>\n

The logos of the political parties in India are of a banality...<\/h2>\n

If you were an Indian, you would probably vote not for a shiny political logo<\/a> of a music-loving candidate, but for the bicycle, school bus or lotus flower party<\/strong>. Or would you prefer the purse, elephant or harmonium<\/a>? These funny symbols are no joke and have been used to represent political parties<\/strong> since India's independence and the first elections in 1951.<\/p>\n

How are political logos created in India?<\/h3>\n

The designs are by M.S. Sethi, an industrial designer hired by the ballot committee in 1950, who hand-drew these political symbols for 40 years. Hence their retro look, as if taken from children's books<\/strong>. We find for example the gas pump, the hat, the frying pan, the gas can, the belt, the diamond necklace, the pimento cheese or the nail clippers. You can find the list of symbols used on this wikipedia page<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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\"logos-elections-inde\"<\/a>
\nSome drawings proposed as logos of political parties<\/strong> in India
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

More than just designs, the logos of Indian political parties are a testimony to the evolution<\/strong> of the nation's daily life over the years, towards more and more modernity. The first symbols illustrated a rural India: the plow, the ox. In the 60s, we saw the appearance of the tractor, the electric pylon... For the 2019 elections, the laptop charger, the computer mouse and the USB key have been added to the catalog. We also find a gas stove, or an air conditioner.<\/p>\n

\"symnoles-election-inde\"<\/p>\n

In order to speak to the greatest number of people, these symbols-logos must be simple, without religious connotations or associations with national pride (the Taj Mahal is excluded for example). They are mostly everyday objects<\/strong>, drawn from food, fashion, kitchen utensils or means of locomotion and sports. They are deliberately meant to be neutral.<\/p>\n

With a few exceptions, animals are banned from the register of political party logos<\/strong>. They have been used to parade during election campaigns, and animal rights groups wanted to prevent some of the animals chosen as mascots from being lynched by party opponents<\/strong>... Only the lion (Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party), the elephant (Bahujan Samaj Party) and the rooster (Naga People's Front) resisted.<\/p>\n

\"symboles-elections-inde-animaux\"<\/h3>\n

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A strong symbolism<\/h3>\n

The symbols of the political parties<\/strong> are proposed by the catalog of the election committee, among those which are not yet used. The parties choose 3 designs in order of preference, and the committee gives them a choice, which will be reserved for them. In case of disagreements and changes in the parties, the symbols are changed. But how to choose between the pylon, the cow and the fan?<\/p>\n

Some parties were lucky enough to choose early on designs with a recognized symbolism in their country<\/strong>, or a strong meaning. The Congress party<\/a> was originally represented by two cows and a plough from 1952 to 1969, before settling for the palm in 1977. In the meantime, the party was represented by a heifer and her calf.
\nIt should be remembered that the cow is sacred<\/strong> in India and that this animal erected here as a political symbol is far from being insignificant. The Congress party is the one that fought (non-violently) for India's independence after the 1920s, under the influence of Mahatma Gandhi. The symbol of the hand says stop, it also welcomes, it greets. And it works.<\/p>\n

But above all, in India, the open palm is the symbol of the benevolent and transparent \"white hand\"<\/strong>, a gesture taken up by the party to mean that it has nothing to hide. It is the gesture that one makes as a blessing, and one often sees in India the elderly making this sign towards small children. So the open palm is very meaningful.<\/p>\n

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The BJP<\/a> (People's Party of India), its main competitor, had chosen an oil lamp as a political party logo<\/strong>, then a man with a plough, before adopting the lotus flower. Symbols obviously richer in meaning than a cast iron pan...<\/p>\n

The oil lamp<\/strong> is very much used in India, especially during religious ceremonies and mainly during the celebration of Diwali<\/a> (\"row of lights\") which corresponds to the Hindu New Year. True festival of lights, it celebrates goddesses and gods, including Lakshmi.
\nThe lotus flower<\/strong> is recognized as the flower whose roots emerge from the opaque mud to bloom in the transparency of the air. It symbolizes spiritual awakening and the overcoming of one's condition, but also purity and eternity. It is used as a symbol or offering in Buddhism and Hindu religion. Although symbols with religious connotations are forbidden, these are charged with them.<\/p>\n

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Les partis Communistes<\/strong> ont quand \u00e0 eux \u00e9videmment choisi la faucille. Avec des variantes, marteau pour certains, \u00e9pis de ma\u00efs pour d'autres.<\/p>\n

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Making the best of the worst<\/h4>\n

Other political parties, which arrived later, invent a message from the less attractive objects that remain. It is necessary to adapt.
\nThe Nationalist Congress party has chosen a wake-up call, surely to say that it is time.
\nBecause with time, there are less and less \"grandiose\" symbols left. Nevertheless, some parties manage to create a \"brand image\" and tell a story that will enhance their party.<\/strong> Even with a symbol like the broom. This is the case of the Aam Aadmi Party, whose symbol is supposed to \"clean the dirt embedded in the Indian government and legislature\".<\/p>\n

\"NCP-logo-politique-inde\"<\/p>\n

There is also a political party that has adopted the tea-cup logo<\/strong>, but it is not clear why. Maybe to make people feel comfortable with a good tea party? (This is a play on words between tea party<\/a> and political party, to be precise, and it's quite good).<\/p>\n

\"logo-parti-politique\"<\/p>\n

Can we really call these political logos?<\/h3>\n

Born from the banality of everyday life, these \"logos\" are unique in the world of politics<\/strong>. A thousand miles from representing a candidate and a party, we could not reach the citizens better. All these obsolete objects of the everyday life knew how to put forward simple objects which resisted the time without taking a wrinkle or almost, after 80 years of life. This is their main strength. You can still find kettles, rickshaws and bows in India. Logos without really being, they are plastered in the city, with the colors of the country: orange, white and green.<\/p>\n

Here we see two variations of the BSP motif, with more or less realistic elephants that nevertheless remain perfectly recognizable as elephants, and therefore political logos. The actual shape of these political logos does not matter, as long as one recognizes the acronym. It is therefore a popular and malleable archetype<\/strong>, usable by the people. The essence of the social logo <\/strong>!<\/p>\n

We talk to you in detail about the birth of street messages in our article on feminicide collages and the branding of social movements<\/a> in general.<\/p>\n

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