Violence against tourists worries hotel industry

Lalit Mohan
Tribune News Service
Dharamsala, June 12

With the plains experiencing scorching heat the tourist rush to hill stations of Himachal is increasing. However, the rush has also led to increase in conflict among the tourists and locals. The incidents of violence against the tourists have been reported from Dharamsala, Manali, Kullu, Dalhouise and Shimla in the current month that is the peak tourist season.

At McLeodganj, just three days ago, tourists from Punjab were brutally thrashed by locals and their vehicle was damaged. The entire incident happened in the presence of police at main crossing of McLeodganj. The police officials failed to prevent the incident even though the tourists captured the incident on their mobile phones. The incident was also recorded on the CCTV cameras installed at the main crossing.

Similar incidents of clashes between the locals, most of whom are taxi operators, and tourists were reported from Bhagsunag and Jadrangal area near Chamunda Devi temple in the last few days.

In a Mandi incident yesterday a police official from UP fired in the air after a scuffle with a local. The tourists were booked under section 307 of the IPC.

Interestingly, most of these cases ended up in compromise between the warring parties facilitated by the police.

SP Kangra, Santosh Patial, when asked as to what action was being taken against the accused in case of violence against tourists at McLeodganj, said that both the parties were working for a compromise.

The incidents of violence against the tourists were, however, worrying the tourism industry of Dharamsala. The general secretary of the hotel association of Upper Dharamsala, Sanjeev Gandhi said that the deployment of police during peak tourist season in which traffic jams were common was grossly inadequate at McLeodganj. Conflicts between tourists and locals generally start due to wrong parking or traffic jam. In case adequate and experienced policemen were deployed for traffic management at major bottlenecks the incidents of violence can be curtailed. “We have already written to authorities for adequate deployment of police at major traffic bottlenecks as violence against tourists was bringing bad name to tourist destinations, he said.

Reasons of conflict

Lack of infrastructure: Most of the hill stations in Himachal, including Shimla, Manali, Dalhousie and McLeodganj were brought up during British rule over India. Since then little infrastructure facilities like adequate parking facilities or broadening of roads have been carried at the said hill stations. With vehicular traffic increasing, the problem of traffic jams extending up to hours was common. The traffic jams and wrong parking along roads generally triggers conflicts among the tourists and locals.

Pole lax with locals: In McLeodganj most of the parking place and some of roads like Naddi-Mcleodganj are occupied by local taxi operators. Generally, the taxi operators are locals who enjoy the patronage of local politicians. They taxi operators generally act like men in uniform. Most of the cases of violence by taxi operators or locals with tourists end in compromise. Such compromises in which no action is taken against the culprits encourages them, said a local hotelier.