Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): They tickle your funny bone but they also send a message. Reading shero-shayari (couplets) written on passing trucks is a staple Indian highway experience. Besides sharing the humour and pain about life on the road they often highlight matters of social relevance like family planning and liquor prohibition. To tap into this trucker tradition and channel it towards creating awareness about Covid-19 and vaccination drives an initiative was launched by the Bhopal-based NGO Search and Research Development Society in association with the National Council for Science and Technology which is a government body under the Department of Science and Technology. "Reading witty and humorous slogans on trucks and buses is a favourite time pass for many people. Moreover messages on trucks travel around the state and others replicate it too" said Monika Jain Chairperson of the society. This NGO conducted a two-day campaign in which slogans about vaccination drives were painted on or tied to about 200 trucks carrier autos milk supply vans and other loading vehicles. The teams camped out at toll plazas enticing drivers to lend valuable mobile advertising space for these public health messages. Drivers were asked to select their favourite message from a chart having over two dozen choices. Many popular sayings were taken and given a Covid twist. "Teeka lagwaoge to baar baar milenge. Laparwahi karoge to Haridwar me milenge" (If you get vaccinated we will meet often; If you disregard it we will meet in Haridwar) goes a catchy message. Mukul a team member who was painting these slogans onto vehicles replaced Haridwar with Narmada Ghat. "In Madhya Pradesh people prefer to perform the last rites at the holy Narmada river than going to Haridwar" he said with a twinkle. "Normally shero-shayaris are merely for entertainment. But I am writing these to save the country to save people from the pandemic" he said adding: "People will read it and the wise follow it too."

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