Click here for more...

(ARCHIVE) Vol. XX No. 21, February 16-28, 2011
 

Quick Links

Dynamics ­behind tourism

A mystical language!

On the Bookshelves

Dynamics ­behind tourism
People friendly, eco-friendly...
(By H.D. Venugopal)

(Continued from last fortnight)

Dr. M.G. Rao, Chief Conservator of Forests, Puducherry: In Ecotourism, unlike other forms of tourism, comfort is not the primary ­objective. But travellers should be aware of the dangers in travelling through the wild without local guides as animals have walk paths that should not be intruded on.

Dharmalingam Venu­gopal of the Nilgiris Documentation ­Centre: The problems of mass tourism in Ooty – from a traffic of 2.5 million tourists a year it is estimated to rise to 4 million in a few years – have to be solved post-haste. Though a popular destination, tourism cannot ­become the primary activity as the permanent residents have their own lives to lead. Yet it is they who will be the ones to face the challenges of conservation, stability and protection of soil, slopes and water resources, town planning, etc. Tour packages should be designed in a way that will contribute to the ­community welfare.

Nirmal of Exnora: More than a thousand villages have converted waste into wealth. Users of toilets would be paid monthly, while the management converted the human waste into manure and sold the produce.

Soma Basu of The Hindu, who contributed to the column ‘Road less travelled’: There is a need for responsible tourism. Vandalism continues unchecked and historical spots are damaged with names and love messages carved all over them. Many beautiful places are terribly neglected.

The most interesting presentation during the two days was by Dr. Venu (Secretary for Tourism, Government of Kerala) who spoke on Responsible Tourism (RT) which his State was now focussed on. He said: “What we have done in Kerala to initiate Responsible Tourism has been a three-year-old journey, drawing in every person involved with tourism and the people living in the destinations, business houses and NGOs. People who had little in common were brought together by tourism.

Unregulated tourism development is not desirable and, if not controlled or supervised, leads to negative impacts. In any destination the key players are the place, community and industry. But the difference between business perspective and destination perspective must be recognised.

The characteristics of a destination vary in respect of heritage, ecosystems, geography, etc. Tourism is based on services and activities, community involvement and culture. In this complex environment, Kerala’s Tourism Department decided that it could not implement its idea of ‘Better Together’ without understanding its working process, and so it took four destinations with different characteristics, at different points of each destination’s life cycle. They were Kovalam, a beach destination; Kumarakom, a backwater resort destination; Thekkady, a National Park area; and Wayanad, a hill destination where extensive developments are coming up.

In the first stage, there were destination-level meetings, dialogues with stakeholders, discussing their priorities, their challenges and understanding their mentality. In the second stage there were surveys to gather baseline data. In the third stage, they tried to sign memorandums with hoteliers for commitment. One thing that was observed in all the areas was a disconnect between business and communities. The community was not employed and their produce was not used, depriving them of benefit from tourism.

The Department urged the hotels and other businesses connected with tourism to create livelihoods for the locals, especially for the poor. The hotels were willing to co-operate but wanted assurances on regularity, quality, and pricing of supplies. The community was unaware of the requirements of the hotels. The industry was told to get its hands dirty and get out of the comfort trap. Most hotels leave it to the managers to get their supplies. This new initiative needed all the staff to attend the meetings and define in all possible details what they needed from the community. Chefs who did not know Malayalam had to explain to a villager what quality meant. They also put a technical support unit in place.

This initiative was not charity but responsibility. Hoteliers came out of the comfort zone to try and implement what they wanted the villagers to do. They began talking to Panchayat members and procurement committees. This was the first time many a Panchayat member stepped into a 5-star hotel.

Community involvement in production does not mean one mass producer in the village but spread across households. A genuine procurement supply system was evolved through a cycle of leadership, local ownership, strong grassroots networks, active procurement and effective partnering with industry. Over Rs. 5 million worth of produce from the community has been purchased since the project began and where there was conflict, there is a cordial relationship and economic benefit.

Unlike Kumarakom and Waya­nad, Thekkady was a failure due to Tamil Nadu and Kerala sharing markets. In Kovalam, the leadership by local politicians was bad and Responsible Tourism is still stuttering.

NGOs also got involved in the project. One such was the Kudumabashree women’s group who produced the vegetables the industry needed and transactions were done by the Sam­rudhi group. At pesent, 650 women benefit from this. They have also opened an open market to sell their produce.

In Kumarakom, the tourism boom is 12 years old. But there was no community involvement, rather there was conflict. Only three hotels volunteered to participate in the project. Through a series of partner meetings, product samples were tested, suggestions for improvement were made and a calendar for seasonal vegetables was documented.

It is clear that if the industry extends a hand forward, a beautiful relationship can develop and there can be sustainable and measurable economic linkages with a pro-poor bias. The village is not an exotic zoo to be visited. In Responsible Tourism industry is told that a visit to a village is a visit to a higher place of learning and an experience that the tourist takes away. The learning is that the community has a richer life­style.

A tour in Wayanad was designed by the locals who were trained in basic English. The first stop of the group was to a sacred grove called Kavu. There were no exotic animals there, just a dense micro-ecosystem. For the local person it was an embodiment of man’s submission to nature, a prayer. This belief had to be explained to the visitor so that it would lead him or her to experience the same feeling. Thus visitors empathi­sed with the guides who spoke respectfully of the Kavu, and thought of the importance of nature to the community. The local tea stall had a small crèche where visitors could see children, poor but clean and dressed decently. The community was in harmony and settled. Visitors needed to appreciate that people were letting them into their community. Each visitor had a checklist of 101 things he/she would do on the trip and these had to be ticked one by one. Such tours are radical to the visitor and have contributed to a better understanding of the community.

Destination planning has become everyone’s baby, hoteliers are actively engaging in local self-governance, sitting in Gram Sabhas. Shades of responsibility are being discovered.”

(Concluded)

Back to top

 

A mystical language!
(Text and pictures By Ramanathan Muthiah)

Some historians say, I think uncharitably, that cricket is really a diabolical political strategy, disguised as a game, in fact a substitute for war, invented by the ingenious British to confuse the natives by encouraging them to fight each other instead of their imperial rulers.

K.R.N. MENON writes that with all the interest in cricket in Madras, "I am sure your readers will appreciate this speech out of the past by a brilliant speaker who was also a good cricketer and an ardent cricket fan. Late Lakshman Kadir­gamar, then Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister, made this speech, reportedly off-the-cuff, after a dinner in the UK, with Sri Lankan cricketers being present. I feel it is one of the best bits of speaking or writing – on cricket in any era."

The world is divided into two camps – those who revel in the intricacies of cricket and those who are totally baffled by it, who cannot figure out why a group of energetic young men should spend days, often in the hot sun or bitter cold, chasing a ball across an open field, hitting it from time to time with a stick – all to the rapturous applause of thousands, now millions, of ecstatic spectators across the world. The game has developed a mystical language of its own that further bewilders those who are already befuddled by its complexities.

In the course of my travels I have a hard time explaining to the non-cricketing world – in America, China, Europe and Russia – that a ‘googly’ is not an Indian sweetmeat; that a ‘square cut’ is not a choice selection of prime beef; that a ‘cover drive’ is not a secluded part of the garden; that a ‘bouncer’ is not a muscular janitor at a night club; that a ‘yorker’ is not some exotic cocktail mixed in Yorkshire; or that a ‘leg-break’ is not a sinister manoeuvre designed to cripple your opponent’s limbs below the waist.

Let me see whether politics and cricket have anything in common. Both are games. Politicians and cricketers are superficially similar, and yet very different. Both groups are wooed by the cruel public who embrace them today and reject them tomorrow.

Cricketers work hard; politicians only pretend to do so. Cricketers are disciplined; discipline is a word unknown to most politicians in any language. Cricketers risk their own limbs in the heat of honourable play; politicians encourage others to risk their limbs in pursuit of fruitless causes while they remain secure in the safety of their pavilions. Cricketers deserve the rewards they get; the people get the politicians they deserve. Cricketers retire young; politicians go on for ever. Cricketers unite the country; politicians divide it. Cricketers accept the umpire‘s verdict even if they disagree with it; politicians who disagree with an umpire usually get him transferred. Cricketers stick to their team through victory and defeat; politicians in a losing team cross over and join the winning team. Clearly, cricketers are the better breed.

It is said that the task of a Foreign Minister is to lie effusively for his country abroad. That may be true, but it is certainly true that he has to fight for his country and defend it at all times. Our cricketers may recall that in the run-up to the 1995 World Cup, Australia refused to play a match in Colombo, citing security reasons. Shane Warne said he wouldn‘t come to Colombo because he couldn‘t do any shopping there. The Press asked me for a comment. I said “Shopping is for ­sissies.” There was a storm of protest in Australia. A TV interviewer asked me whether I had ever played cricket. I said I had played before he was born – without helmets and thigh guards, on matting wickets that were full of holes and stones, and I had my share of broken bones to show it. My friend, the Australian Foreign Minister, was drawn into the fray and he phoned me. We decided to cool things down. A combined India/Pakistan team came to Colombo at a very short notice to play an exhibition match in place of the Australian match. It was a magnificent gesture of South Asian solidarity. Against strong security advice, I went on to the field to greet and thank our friends from India and Pakistan. When the whole episode was over I sent a bouquet of flowers to my Australian counterpart. Flowers are also for sissies.

I remember vividly the incident that occurred in Australia when Murali was called for throwing and Arjuna led his team to the boundary, in protest, but cleverly refrained from crossing it. I was watching TV in Colombo. As a past captain I asked myself what I would have done in Arjuna’s place. In my mind I had no hesitation in supporting his decision. A few minutes later the phone rang. The President of the Board called to ask for advice. I said Arjuna was right because a captain must, on the field, stand up for his men and protect them, but the consequences must not be allowed to go too far; good lawyers must be engaged and a reasonable compromise must be reached. That was done.

During that tour I paid an official visit to Australia. My friend, the Australian Foreign Minister, in the course of a dinner speech invited me to go with him the next day to Adelaide, his home town, to watch the final day’s play. I knew what the result was going to be. In my reply I said that at the end of the match I did not want to be the one to tell him that Australia had “won by a Hair.” Accordingly, I went back home, as planned, to maintain the good relations that we have with Australia.

Foreign Ministers sometimes find themselves in very difficult situations. Take the case of the Foreign Minister of Uganda. President Idi Amin told him that he wanted to change the name of Uganda to Idi. The minister was asked to canvas world opinion and return in two weeks. He did not do so. He was summoned and asked to explain. He said: “Mr. President, I have been informed that there is a country called Cyprus. Its citizens are called Cypriots. If we change the name of our country to ‘Idi’ our citizens would be called ... Idiots.” Reason prevailed. A story goes that a shark was asked why diplomats were his preferred food. He replied, “Because their brains being small are a tasty morsel, their spines being supple I can chew on them at leisure – and they come delightfully marinaded in alcohol.”

As I approach the close of this brief address I wish to speak directly to our Sri Lankan team. Today we lost a match. But you lost to the rain and M/s Duckworth and Lewis. You did not lose to England. Only a few weeks ago you had a resounding victory against South Africa. You will win again tomorrow. What is important is to keep up your confidence and spirits.

Every team loses. It takes two to play a game. One has to lose. It is the manner in which you play the game which gives the promise of success to come. Cricket, like all international sport today, is highly competitive and so it must be, and so it must remain. It must always be regarded as a very high honour to represent one’s country at any sport. All of you are role models for our youth. They will be looking to see how you take defeat. To exult in victory is easy, to remain well balanced in defeat is a mark of maturity. Do not allow yourselves to be disturbed by the armchair critics who will no doubt engage in a display of theoretical learning on how the game was played. Many of these critics have never put bat to ball. It makes them feel good to indulge in the pastime of amateur criticism. They do not know what it is to face fast bowling in fading light; to engage in a run race against daunting odds; to find the stamina and sheer physical endurance to spend concentrated hours in the field of play. They know nothing of the psychological pressure that modern sportsmen are subjected to. Therefore, my advice to you is – ignore them. Go your way with customary discipline and methodical preparation for the next game, the next series, in different parts of the world under different conditions.

For me it has been a great pleasure and an honour to be here with you tonight. When I was invited to be the Chief Guest at this occasion on my way to New York for the General Assembly of the United Nations, I accepted with eager anticipation of meeting our cricketers and relaxing for a moment.

Nobody told me that I had to make a speech, until last night when it dawned on me then that there is no such thing as a free dinner!

Back to top

 

(By Savitha Gautam)
• Women path-breakers
• India after 1947
• Flavours from South India

Leading Ladies: Women Who Inspire India – Vol. 1 – Sudha Menon
(Prakash Books, Rs.295)

They stand tall in a world that is by and large male-dominated. Overcoming odds, breaking traditions, and marching ahead, these women have made a name for themselves with their sheer grit, determination and oodles of willpower and mental strength. They are truly inspirational.

Fifteen achievers including biz leaders Mallika Srinivasan, Vinita Bali, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Anu Aga, Meher Pudum­jee, Lila Poonawalla, Amrita Patel, and Priya Paul, artistes Mallika Sarabhai and Shubha Mudgal, bankers Kalpana Morparia, Naina Lal Kidwai and Shikha Sharma, activist Shaheen Mistri and sportswoman P.T. Usha are featured in the first volume. Their story followed by a brief bio and pertinent quotes from them… every account makes for a superb read. One only wishes some photographs accompanied the articles… it might have lent more weight.

A fascinating introduction by Sewa founder Ela Bhatt makes for an interesting read. Her insights about success and the role of women in our social fabric (“For me, a woman is the past, the present and the future of our society, and there’s no greater strength than that of a group of determined, committed women!”) ring a wise and true bell.

* * *

India: A Portrait –Patrick French (Allen Lane, Rs. 448)

The historian strings together anecdotes and biographies of known and unknown Indians in his latest tome.

So you encounter names as wide ranging as P.C. Maha­lanobis, Charu Mazumdar, Sunil Mittal, Sunita, a Maoist woman, the Gandhis and even the teenager, Aarushi. Socialites, journalists, bankers… people he has met over a period of time find mention in this book.

As the author puts it, it is his quest to paint a picture of India after 1947… economic policies, political stands and social set-ups.

* * *

Chettinadu Kitchen: Food and Flavours from South India – Alamelu Vai­ravan (Westland, Rs. 395)

Walk into any Chettiar home anytime, and you are sure to be always treated to some fabulous gastronomic delights. The Chettinad cuisine has found fame not only on ­Indian shores but also across the seas. And there are many who are responsible for its soaring popularity. One such is Alamelu, who hails from a typically large family but has made the United States her home.

In this book, she puts together over 100 recipes, some quite well known (kuzhi paniyaram, paal payasam, meen varuval) and some not too-oft-tasted ones (kavanarisi, kanda­rappam, iraichi podimas). Of course, there are many recipes which are more South Indian rather than specifically Chettinadu, but the sub-title of the book justifies their inclusion.

The chapters are neatly segmented into Breakfast, Chutneys, Egg and Meat Dishes, Rice, Sambhar and Kulambu, Soups and Rasams, Vegetables and Desserts. Colour transparencies lend drama.

As for the recipes themselves, well, just try them out!

Back to top

 



In this issue

Senate House to become a museum
Monstrous Stations – will Metro learn from
MRTS?
From Port Trust to Cambridge
Once bustling, Pulicat now dozes
The Institute of Mental Health –
its remarkable history
Other stories

Our Regulars

Short 'N' Snappy
a-Musing
Our Readers Write
Dates for your diary

Archives

Back to current issue...