- No less than Mahatma Gandhi said that cleanliness is godliness. None can dispute this claim since keeping oneself and the surroundings clean not only reflects how we feel inside but also manifests in the form of a strong belief system inherent in us. Unfortunately, we Indians are not so keen to keep our surroundings neat simply because of our gross neglect, little understanding, and general lack of sensitivity towards our fellow nationals. Little wonder, our nearby surroundings, roads, parks, buildings, monuments, and historical structures are found littered with uncleared garbage. Most of us will go to any extent to ensure our immediate living quarters are kept neat and tidy, but the same alacrity and indulgence are sadly lacking when it comes to our surroundings.
PC: India Business & Trade
- People nonchalantly urinating and defecating in the open may have come down because of some efforts from the present dispensation at the Centre, but the overall awareness to ensure our surroundings are litter-free is still a work in progress. Most frustratingly, monuments to museums, India does a generally poor, sometimes shoddy, job of preserving things of beauty. Remember, this is the peak tourist season. Indians are in travel mode. But travel is not without its headaches. Winter fog, for instance, can be sorrowful. A recent Agra story has further underlined how grinchy touristing in India can be. Encroachments are of course dime a dozen, no surprises here. The country is full of illegal occupations including encroachments of historical sites. What is done?
PC: Business Today
- Sadly, how Mubarak Manzil was razed even as UP’s archaeological department issued it a protection notice and an official from Lucknow visited it to start preservation efforts, is particularly ugly. It is credible that the demolition was in connivance with police and administrative officials. This story resonates widely because it is so familiar – various petty interests weigh down Indian tourism everywhere. Last year, the SC found itself amazed at the audacity with which over 6,000 trees were cut down inside Jim Corbett National Park. It is a fact that few countries can offer the bouquet of tourist delights India can, from tiger safaris and living root bridges and 43 UNESCO World Heritage Sites to palace hotels, spiritual wellsprings, and a dazzling variety of cuisines.
PC: Authentic India Tours
- Most appallingly, tiny Dubai gets more foreign tourists, many of them Indian. That Indians finally have the leisure and income to start seeing the world big-time is a welcome trend. May it go from strength to strength. The question is, don’t they deserve to see home wonders maintained at the same standard that they encounter abroad? Everything that discourages international tourists, is a pain for Indians too. Priceless artworks made shabby by yellowing notes and dingy tubelights tell visitors across the country’s museums: stay away. And then there are the mountain and beach towns that have been miserably over-touristed. These are crying for a breather. We need to preserve our surroundings, heritage, and legacy by altering our mindset to stay tidy.
