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| Projected’ presence of Taliban sends shivers among tourism traders in Kashmir | | Worries trade related men and the Government alike | | EARLY TIMES REPORT
Srinagar, Apr 20: Even if tourism industry is yet to overcome the summer “jolt” of last year, ‘deliberate’ attempt to project presence of Taliban in the Jammu and Kashmir have disquieted the people associated with the tourism industry.
According to the tourism players, deliberate attempts are being made to ‘blow beyond proportions’ the rumours of Taliban presence in the state to frighten away tourists to other place.
“It seems that it is well planned conspiracy against the tourism industry,” Mohammad Azim Tuman, President House Boat Owners Association said. As a part of this conspiracy, he said, some private television channels are sensationalizing the mere rumours to dent the tourism trade.
“All intelligence reports ultimately reach to defense ministry and when the ministry, army, and state police are denying the reports as baseless, why don’t these channels stop portraying the bad picture of Kashmir in the outside world,” Tuman said
Tuman urged the state government especially the ministry of tourism to seek an explanation from all media portals “blowing the rumours of Taliban presence in the state.”
“The tourism ministry should seek an explanation from the news channels as to where from they get the information when the central ministry has categorically said that there is no presence of Taliban in Kashmir,” he said.
“We are yet to overcome the jolt and the presence of tourists in valley right now is nothing compared to what was in last spring,” he said.
Pertinently, United Jihad Council, an amalgam of various militants’ outfits including Hizbul Mujahideen, has discarded the reports saying Taliban has no role in Jammu and Kashmir.
A tourist from Gaziabad, Utter Pradesh Manish Wadhwa said that he was reluctant to visit valley after the ‘disturbing’ reports.
“Despite the disturbing reports, we decided to go ahead with the trip and we found the place tranquilizing than any other place we have visited so far,” said Manish, who along with his family, have been holidaying in Kashmir Valley from the Last two days.
Meanwhile, department of tourism is organizing a seminar aimed to highlight the ‘no Taliban presence’ in the state to assure tourists across the globe especially in India that Kashmir was a safe place to evade the scorching heat, sources in tourism department said.
After gala beginning in spring, the tourist inflow slumped to a trickle after land row and subsequent protests for ‘Azadi’ during the summer last year, brought the tourism inflow to a halt in the valley.
Barring few thousand tourists who preferred destinations like Ladakh, most of the destinations in the valley were deserted by tourists from May up to December last year before the arrival started again.
According to the officials nearly 7.7 million people including 70.49 lakh pilgrims visited the state last year, which was short by over 2 lakh tourists as compared to 2007 turnout, which is slated to be the second best after 1988.
Sources said that there was a down fall of 2.33 lakh tourists in 2008 as compared to 2007, due to the agitation in July and August in the state. The number was though higher when compared to 76.90 lakh tourists in 2006, 72.82 lakh in 2005 and 62.11 lakh in 2004.
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