End of 2012 has given us the shocking
news of a girl being raped in Delhi. And the process of agitation was started
on the roads of Delhi and across the country. This incident has been
covered by media globally. Certainly here media has played a pivotal role in terms of spreading
this gruesome act. The direct effect of this news on India is being
seen on the number of foreign tourists arrivals and cancellation in Indian tourism sector in the
next financial year 2013 - 14. Tourism activity from the higher spender countries dipped very badly.This year
when Tourism industry was trying to come out of this loss “Badayun’s” incident took place and has
pulled the legs again. And the icing on the cake has been done by the UN General Assembly’s statement on Badayun Rape case.
Now the debate on Badayun rape
has started everywhere. Condemning the incident is the only outcome
of every debate and write ups. All the participants have their view on how to stop such incident; politicians have their own opinion. But no one
has a solution for it. Many of them says that this is the part of our society
since centuries, and it was always there. No one can stop this some are blaming it to the current fashion trend, education system, television, western society exposure and social
media for provoking it. Question arises here is - whom we should blame for it?
All those who have studied psychology might have the answer to it. But they are
also not sure about the remedies. When UN
General Assembly condemned the statement of our politician this itself tells how sensitive our politicians are towards this issue.
In terms of Tourism development in
India where none of the past government has done anything to develop it except for making paper plans. Whatever tourism we are having today in our country it is because
of our country's past history and cultural heritage. This glorious past of ours is selling India as a tourism product globally. And such act which later on becomes news directly affects
the tourism industry. After this the effect spread towards its
suppliers. And suppliers are not only the big Hotels and Transporters but also
the small restaurateur, Dhaba Waala, Autowaala, rickshaw puller in cities like
Agra, Orcha, Khajuraho to the Boatman in Varanasi. The effect is so wide that
one can not calculate the loss to the economy of a country. The data of finance
ministry about the foreign exchange earning in tourism sector of our country is not very accurate, as many miscellaneous expenses
often goes unchecked and that money actually helps provide employment to the
locals who are basically unskilled laborers.
Last year when natural calamity
took place in Badarinath where thousands of people lost their life has a very
damaging economical effect on Varanasi’s boatmen and Tour operators. As
the Water level of the river Ganges rises the boating was stopped by the
authority due to safety reason. This has made boatmen unemployed for almost three months from
June end till September last week. Of course this is not in our hand and we can't do much about it till we can do some permanent arrangements for flood
waters reuse. But certainly we can do something in Rape cases.
Convicting the culprits and debating
on television is not the solution, we ourselves have to work upon the solution.
Today’s time when the world has become a city and different countries have become part of this city, we can not afford the re occurrences of such gruesome act. One
has to be answerable for it and that one will be us only. None of us can
change the society single handed, but yes if we come together and become answerable
to each other the change will be seen sooner.
Tourism has good potential in
our country and this will not only solve our economic problem but also generate the
employment to this youngest country of the world. Countries like Mauritius,
Singapore, and Maldives etc. are surviving beautifully on tourism then why we
can’t we? And especially when we have so much to offer to our visitor which no
other country can in the world.
It is a wake up call for everyone
in India.” Good days will only come when we will work for it”. Otherwise it will
remain a slogan only.
“God Bless Tourism in India”.
