WITH tourist inflow tapering off in the past few months, the Gujarat government has turned desperate to attract holidayers.

After all, the land of Mahatma Gandhi has been blessed with India’s longest—1600km — coastline, Asia’s only abode of the lions, architectural marvels and historical monuments and countless Harappan sites. Culture-vultures flock to the state also to enjoy its colourful fairs and festivals.

The BJP administration has decided to copy the successful tourism promotion model of Kerala. Accordingly, tourism mart societies will come up in all districts and a joint company with private participation will be formed for which a special fund will be created. Up-to-the minute vehicles will be hired and tourism courses will be given top priority.

The tourism department has asked a prestigious company to prepare a revenue model for a surefire infrastructural pattern. After all, it has signed Memoranda of Understanding for 68 projects worth Rs100 billion, related to floating hotels, golf courses, a film city and five-star hotels.

The number of day-trippers thronging Gujarat had been steadily rising since 2002-2003 but the last one year has seen fewer domestic and international travellers landing in the progressive state. While 110,00 NRIs came to Gujarat during 2006-2007, they totalled only 62,147 during 2007-2008. Similarly, foreign tourists declined by 40,000 to 58,938 during the same period, and non-Gujarat Indian pilgrims and picknickers were down by 800,000 to 1.7 million.

Marathis’ stand

THE 900,000 Marathis settled in Gujarat have made light of Raj Thackeray’s movement against north Indians and do not see eye to eye with the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) leader. The new political entrant Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has thousands of supporters but even Bal Thackeray’s Shiv Sena has been struggling for a base in the state. No wonder, the Marathis, spread over mainly in Ahmedabad, Vadodara and Surat, have frustrated attempts by the two Senas to divide the local people who have been recovering after a bloody round of communal riots in 2002.

Kishore Gaud has translated 15 Marathi books into Gujarati and speaks flawlessly in the local lingo. According to him, the Thackerays while trying to find progress for the sons of the soil will push Maharashtra backwards. Bharat Gavrikar, whose forefathers arrived in Gujarat 150 years ago, is an active member of the Ahmedabad Marathi Association. He says that Raj is oblivious of the fact that if a Marathi is talented, he or she is bound to get a job not only in Maharashtra but anywhere in the world.

Both the torch-bearers of the community wondered what their fate will be if Gujaratis launch a similar campaign to kick out Marathis. While Surat has the highest number of Marathis — 464,567 —they number 156,933 in Vadodara and 122,378 in Ahmedabad. Gandhinagar, Rajkot and Anand also have a few thousand Marathis.

Farmers’ suicides

GUJARAT’S record vis-a-vis farmers’ suicides is not bad after all. According to the 2006 figures just released by the National crime records bureau, among the 35 states and Union territories, the BJP-ruled state ranks eighth in the country with 487 ryots taking the extreme step. Maharashtra tops the table with 4,453 tillers killing themselves, followed by Andhra Pradesh (2,607), Karnataka (1,720), Chattisgarh (1,483), MP (1,375), West Bengal (1,189), Kerala (1,124), Gujarat (487) and UP (411).

Yet, the Narendra Modi government continued to tell a ‘lie’ in the legislative assembly that only 148 farmers had taken the plunge during the three years till 2007. Even while replying to an application under the Right to Information Act, the state government had said that only 489 farmers had committed suicide since 2003 whereas 487 farmers took the backgate commute in 2006 alone.

Tailpiece

WITH five houses being burgled in Ahmedabad every day despite a strict police vigil, the citizens have turned smarter than the thieves. Earlier this week, a gang of four intruders broke open all cupboards and ransacked the furniture in a locked bungalow but failed to find any cash or jewellery.

Well, while complaining to the police, the head of the family revealed that he knew his home would be made a target when they were all away. So he had hidden cold cash totalling Rs300,000 and ornaments in an old pressure cooker which the burglars did not bother to check out!

Source: khaleejtimes.com