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| Drop funny heritage tourism idea | | | On an average Kashmiris are treated as an intelligent race.And the Kashmiri bureaucrats are said to be quite sharp.But at times their ideas and visions soar so high that it becomes difficult to maintain a touch between their soaring ideas and notions with the mundane needs and requirments.If they are known for the art of cooking figures they do have the expertise in putting their ideas into practice which can benefit people.Kashmiri academicians,including poets and writers,doctors and engineers have excelled in their fields of activities.Many among them have carved out a niche in the international arenas as far as their professions are concerned.But invariably ideas and plans of some Kashmiri bureaucrats,serving in the valley,seem to fly on the "wings of poesy" with the result they lose touch with the realities of life and living.One such bureaucrat who has caught attenton of people who are knowledgeable is the Director of Tourism,Farooq Ahmed Shah.His
plans and ideas seem to be more preposterous than the one that were held dear by people like Osama bin Laden.Shah has plans of giving new dimensions to heritage tourism.On the face of it there seems nothing obnoxious in the plan when Kashmir has been boasting of promoting adventure tourism,pilgrim tourism,winter tourism and so on and so forth.
What are the ideas of Shah ?Farooq Ahmed Shah want toto forget houseboats, forget hotels, because dduring their stay in the Kashmir valley will now get to stay in the old heritage homes of downtown Srinagar. Department of Tourism has worked out a plan regarding conversion of old heritage houses in Srinagar area to guest houses and submitted a proposal on these lines to the state government.Once approved, the Tourism department is likely to enter into a contract with the owners of heritage buildings and the contract would be incentive based.“For each heritage house rented out, Tourism department would provide an incentive of Rs 2 lakhs to the owners. This would not only boost the heritage tourism of the valley, but will also enable the facelift of many worn out heritage buildings in the city,” Farooq Ahmad Shah, has said.Interestingly, majority of these heritage buildings which are exclusive timber and masonry architectures crying
for
renovation are located in the old city.Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), New Delhi in its survey of 2005, identified about 2,500 vernacular buildings across the city and listed about 800 of them as having special significance.
Those who are fully acquainted with the history of the old city treat Shah's idea preposterous.Their plea is based on the 75-year old history of interior of Srinagar which has remained a seat for sher-Bakra feud,a feud between the followers of Sheikh Abdullah and those owing allegiance to Mirwaiz family.The interior of Srinagar has remained a cradle for anti-India activities.It has witnessed series of demonstrations,protest rallies,violence,clashes between protesters and the security forces during the last 21 years.Militants have remained more active in interior of Srinagar than in the civil lines areas of the city.It is that part of the state's summer capital where shops are shut even on the drop of a hat.It is that part of the city which is defiled by poor sewage system,broken roads,congestion of the type one does not witness even in Darya Ganj,Pahar Ganj or Jamia Masjid areas in Delhi.
It is just for the sake of argument.Suppose the Government okays Shah's plan will the tourists agree to stay in the heritage houses in interior of Srinagar for enjoying the beauty of the overflowing drains ? Will they prefer to stay in heritage houses in interior of Srinagar to move on broken lanes and smelling bylanes ? Will the tourists feel comfortable when they are jolted out of their post lunch nap by slogans demanding "azadi"?Do the excursionists to Kashmir spend money simply to watch unruly youths engaged in stone pelting ?Certainly not.No tourists will accept staying in heritage houses where they would not get even whiff of fresh air,where they would not see snow covered mountains,dancing cascades and verdent slopes.Majority of tourists visit Kashmir for rest and relaxation and for watching the green meadows,fruit laden trees,the blazing leaves of chinar trees and shikara rides on the lakes.The interior of Srinagar can afford none
except littered roads,stench,crowds jostling outside bakeries.Tourists may not spend a fortune to enjoy the stench of the fish market at Bohri Kadal.Let Shah drop his utopean idea.
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