Not even a word! World Tourism Day passes off silently in Amritsar

Neeraj Bagga

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, September 28

Even as tourism is the mainstay of the city’s finances yet no stress was laid on its importance on the World Tourism Day which passed off lackadaisically on Sunday. Neither the government nor district administration, hard pressed to handle the pandemic, had time to chalk out any programme to lift the sagging morale of tourism industry.

The outbreak has had a paralysing effect on the businesses. Those dependent on tourism for their livelihood found themselves cornered losing jobs and finally running out of savings. Gurinder Singh Johal, a senior member of the Amritsar Guide Association had witnessed it all and says the holy city was no exception. “Countless jobs were lost, every country managed it according to interests of all but tourism workmen in India were left at the mercy of God,” he adds.

He rues that the state government and tourism department did not do anything to sapre the blushes of the taxi drivers, hotels’ staff etc and those working at the Gobindgarh fort, Sada Pind.

“People appointed at these places have been out of work for last six months but neither Tourism Minister nor secretary tourism, did anything for them. They never bothered to take notice of their plight,” he says.

He requested the government to compensate these people through policies and plans. Like waiving off their electricity bill, transfer some cash in their accounts or incurring fee expenses of their children.

Apart from religious sites like the Golden Temple, Durgiana temple and Ramtirath temple, which is believed to be the hermitage of Bhagwan Valmiki, the city houses numerous fascinating array of sightseeing places like Summer Palace of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, a panorama depicting life of the legendary king, Pul Kanjri — a tourism site associated with the Maharaja, Jallianwala Bagh, Gobindgarh fort, heritage village, war and partition museums among others.