We, Indians, are indeed obsessed with the idea of delegation. Earlier this week our Tourism minister, Ambika Soni took this obsession to new heights. India will soon have a tourism task force comprising of ex-servicemen to ensure safety and well-being of tourists. She proposes to deploy these tourist officials in all prominent tourist spots.
Apparently, unflattering statistics prompted this rather ridiculous proposal. India welcomed only five million guests in 2007 while Singapore saw about ten million in the same year. And perturbed Soni saw the formation of a tourist-protection army as the best possible solution. Also, considering the recent spate of accidents involving tourist and questions raised in the media, does this task force not aptly convey the concerns of the government and construct a foolproof escape route for it? Indeed, a bold attempt by the Minister to kill two birds with an arrow!
But does this task force actually address the problems of tourist in India? Agreed that safety and security is one of the prime areas of this issue but realistically, will this make any difference? Isn’t it like adding one more beast to the battlefield?
Five years down the lane, the scenario will be no better than now. This tourist army will just add another column to the list of government servants. Instead, why not try to get to the core of the issue. Conduct an exhaustive survey and try to find out where we falter as a host. Questionnaires for this could be distributed at airports and other tourist places. Diligent and systematic analysis of these questionnaires will then definitely reveal the weak areas and more so, along with the ways to improve it.
Undoubtedly, this will take time and perhaps, a lot more effort than announcing another force, but in the long run this is sure to benefit us.
It also stands important that India be fair and strict in dealing with tourists. The notion that Indian laws can be easily done away with is widespread among the international community. Therefore, the Indian government has to send a strong signal falsifying this notion.
The Scarlett Keeling case should be dealt with soon and brought to a justifiable end. Legal and criminal cases involving tourists must be looked into sooner and verdict should be delivered well before it starts haunting and deterring others planning on destination India.
Back home, the government must improve the existing institutions and agencies. There is no point in having two, equally inefficient protection forces. It makes so much sense to concentrate on the current order and try to put it place than to create a parallel system, which in the long run will only complicate matters.
Source: Hindustan Times
Image: Satrumun
