We don’t take separatists seriously: Tour operators

Sumit Hakhoo

Tribune News Service

Jammu, December 7

After suffering Rs 3,000-crore loss and delaying tourism development projects worth Rs 500 crore during the past five months of continued shutdown and violence in Kashmir, separatists’ appeal to tourists and pilgrims has not been taken seriously by those associated with the hospitality sector.

Widespread protests and a series of attacks on vehicles carrying pilgrims and tourists by mobs washed out the tourism season in the Valley this year. The violence engulfing 10 districts of Kashmir following the elimination of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani on July 8 by the security forces led to cancellation of bookings and forced thousands to flee Srinagar.

Though the effect on the flow of pilgrims, especially to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in the Jammu region, and foreign tourists to the Ladakh region has not been much but violence has created a fear among people outside the state.

The Hurriyat Conference weekly protest calendar led to a complete shutdown in the Valley and stone-throwers further ensured that it was enforced strictly by people and many of them had to face the wrath of protesters.

“We are not even getting inquiries from people about Kashmir. Pilgrims and adventure-seeking foreigners carry the impression that the whole of state is facing unrest. People don’t want to visit the Valley,” said Sarveshwar Katoch, general manager, Worldride Travels, a New Delhi-based company.

Those associated with the tourism and transport sector question the logic of separatists’ call for inviting tourists when thousands of people had to flee from the state.

“Many visitors from outside the state were caught in the stone-throwing, restaurants remained shut, people were being fleeced in hotels. Transporters were afraid to operate due to fear of mobs. People want to spend a holiday in a peaceful environment, not in the shadow of stone-throwers”, said Pawan Sharma, who looks after ticketing and tour plans at Alex Travel Agency.

The present situation prevailing in the Valley has also ruined the work done by successive governments in projecting the peaceful image of the state. “We don’t take separatists’ statement seriously at least in the Jammu region. Their statement does not make any sense as they have contributed to making the image of Kashmir as a violent place”, said Satwant Singh Rissim, a researcher of law in Jammu University. Rissim also runs a family transport business, which suffered following protesters targeting trucks in the Valley.

Even holidaymakers are treading cautiously and don’t want to take any decision in haste. “Our preference would be Himachal Pradesh or other hill stations. Who wants to spend holidays in a place where violence has become a norm?” said Rajni Sharma from Jaipur who was on a visit to the Vaishno Devi shrine.