Why is the Broader Civil Society silent when the state is gasping for economic revival?
Grenade Incident Attempt to Paralyze Tourist Industry
Srinagar: Several tourist trade organisations and prominent citizens of society have condemned and expressed deep anguish over the grenade attack that took place yesterday at Dalgate, the tourist hub of Kashmir.
President, Travel Agents Society of Kashmir, Mr. Abdul Khaliq Wangnoo expressed surprise that whenever tourist trade starts picking in Kashmir, particularly tourist hub of Srinagar area, these anti-people incidents occur, which are directly against the economical interests of lakhs of people, whose trade is associated with arrival of tourists in Kashmir.
Wangnoo said that it is unfortunate that on one pretext or the other, uncomfortable atmosphere is being created by vested interests for large number of tourists, who are destined to come to Kashmir, particularly in summer months.
Wangnoo said travel associations have invested a lot of money in travelling abroad to convince people to visit the State, but incidents like these drift the tourists away from Kashmir. “This is the peak tourist season. We receive pilgrim tourists as well as those on pleasure trips. Yesterday’s grenade attack has been of concern to them and they are already shortening their stay,” he added.
Chairman, Travel Agents Association of India, Mr. Ghulam Nabi Siah, while expressing shock and anguish over the Dalgate incident, said that projection of violence and such grenade incidents directly affect the psyche of lakhs of tourists, who make schedule every year to come to Kashmir. He said that consequently for the last several years, people have suffered huge losses because of some abrupt incidents of this nature.
Thousands of persons associated with tourist trade, industry, handicraft and other related business establishments were of the opinion that during the tourist season, violence of any kind or any nature is not good to survive this tourist industry in Kashmir for long.
The parents of school and college-going children were also of the view that these types of incidents create scare among student community to go to schools as well as colleges due to which their education is directly affected and we are leading to such society where our educated youth will not be able to compete with others in this competitive world.
Siah said it is unfortunate that whenever tourist season starts in Kashmir, such incidents push away tourists, incurring huge loss to the people involved with tourist trade. “Thousands of people plan to visit Kashmir every year and once grenade attacks like these occur, they cancel visits and go to some other place, collapsing the State’s economy,” he said, adding people in Kashmir are of considered view that no such incident should happen again.