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| Destroying tourism industry is unlikely to hasten | | Kashmir issue settlement | |
Gareeb Dass
Jammu |June 5
It is no time to negotiate room rent rates in hotels and houseboats in the Kashmir valley.If you ask a hotelier how much he will charge for a double or single-bedroom you will get a quick reply."Do not negotiate rates because we do not have any room vacant.It is full occupency these days."This boon for those connected with tourism and bane for visitors is the result of heavy rush of tourists to the scenic valley.We had witnessed heavy tourist traffic last year also.Between 1989 and 1996 the tourism industry in the Kashmir valley had been hit hard by the rise of militancy.After the installation of an elected Government in 1996 and on account of gradual improvement in the security situation tourist traffic to the valley was restored.
Three years ago the valley people were rejoicing over heavy tourist influx but all of a sudden excursionists were forced to cut short their stay when the militants attacked two tourist coaches in which several visitors were killed and others wounded.A year after same experiment was repeated by the militants.It dismayed all those connected with the tourism industry,especially the hoteliers,the traders,houseboat owners and transporters.Possibly militants have no knowledge that tourism sector has been the backbone of the state's economy in the sense that a bumper tourist season fetches around Rs.5,000 crores to the state annually.Possibly they do not know that several thousand people are directly connected with tourism and a bigger number is linked indirectly with the tourism industry.
Militants have wrecked the tourism sector right from 1989.They have been doing so sporadically because they believe that once tourists enjoy a hassle free and incident free stay it could be construed or misconstrued as the beginning of peace and normalcy in the state.Again possibly they do not want to give an opportunity to the state or the central Governments to make tall claims on restoration of normalcy.Terrorists believe that once an impression gained ground that everything is normal in Kashmir it could be construed that the ongoing Jehad has died a premature death.This they do not want.Hence to keep Kashmir crisis hitting newspaper headlines militants target tourists.
Those who are connected with tourism in the valley no longer conceal their hope of better days to come.They keep on praying for better sense to prevail on militants.People generally feel that by targeting tourists Kashmir issue may not rise from the grave.They believe that by allowing a bumper tourist traffic to the valley militants should not feel that such a situation could bury the Kashmir issue for good.Tourist traffic to Kashmir or lack of it is hardly going to govern the political future of the state.Hence people do hope that militants may not target tourists who have nothing to do with the settlement of the Kashmir issue.At least those lakhs of tourists who travel to Kashmir for enjoying the cool breeze have no role to play for resolving the Kashmir issue and hence why should they get killed that too on a soil where they had rented rooms in hotels or houseboats for visiting verdent slopes,panoramic lakes and dancing cascades and waterfalls.If these tourists come to enjoy nature they pay for it.They move around in the valley not to fall prey to the guns and grenades of militants.
Militants need to realise that they could carry on the armed struggle for such a long period only because of direct and indirect support from the people in the valley.Once those millions of people,who lose their livelihood owing to sudden drop in the tourist traffic,militants are bound to lose peoples'support and sympathy.One should not feel amazed and dazed over the reports that in the past militants have allowed an incident free tourist season only after they resorted to extortion from those connected with tourism .Though it is an unhealthy trend still it can be preferable to zero tourist traffic to Kashmir.The Kashmir issue needs to be settled as per the wishes of not only people in Kashmir but wishes of people living in the Jammu and Ladakh provinces cannot be ignored.While finding the solution as per the wishes of people of the entire state blocking tourist traffic to the valley may not force India and Pakistan to hasten the process of settlement.(eom
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