Covid 19 and the situation of Tourism Industry in India.

Covid 19 and the situation of Tourism Industry in India.

Corona effect

In our country, the more the Corona Virus’s paw is pressed, the more uncertainty and wailing are perpetuated with every passing day. The prolong experience of being under house arrest has never been felt before. The number of stress and tension prevailing in our minds is also no less than Corona panic. Excluding the Government employees, a huge number of those working in the private sector have lost their jobs. Primarily those who were working on temporary or small scale projects, earning a meager income to make their ends meet, are suffering the most.

Mediocre population living in the suburban areas, a short distance away from the big cities, used to commute by local trains or public buses. But today, in order to travel to the city or from a particular place to another, they are ought to arrange other means of transport, which is not really pocket friendly to them. Due to limited transport facilities, the fairs are touching the sky. For example, a short auto-rickshaw ride which used to cost them Rs. 10/- earlier, is now pinching their pocket with a higher cost of Rs. 40/-. The bus fares have also incremented highly and with the very limited number of buses being operated in consideration of number of people willing to travel daily, is making the journey extremely uncertain and uncomfortable. Even if you reach your destination after fighting against a lot of hurdle, it is not at all certain of you being able to come back to your native town with the same means of public transport.

In the midst of this terrible uncertainty, where people are helpless in the thought of procuring food for the next day, thousands of people and their families are spending their days in the unsure conditions in the tourism and its allied industries.

A few days ago, I was watching on a television channel, that while addressing to the different representatives from various industries in Bengal, the Hon'ble Chief Minister of West Bengal advised the people involved in the tourism industry to surrender the situation to the God.

Similarly it is quite distinct from the response of the central government that they have yet not come up with a clear direction for the tourism industry; the industry which involves in the livelihood of millions of families. There are times when the state or central Government suddenly orders for a complete closure of the tourist centers, sometime further we again come to know that the hotels have been opened in different places.

But will only asking the hotels to start their operation, suffice tourism? In order to install fearless confidence in the mind of the travelers, that if by chance they falls prey to the virus during their tour, they will easily receive medical facilities and will be taken utmost care by the Government. Unless the authorities take lead and provide such assurance to the tourists, they will certainly not restart travelling. As a result the industry will keep suffering. The government also needs to ensure that tourists get suitable vehicles to reach their destinations.

A few days ago, Bal-Bahadur, a car owner cum driver from Sikkim, a very familiar person of mine, called me and told me about their plight. The EMI of the car is falling month after month, the banks are not giving any good answer about the interest waiver in this regard, a family of seven solely dependent on him, are living in dire straits in East Sikkim.

In the same way, Suraj Prasad of Kishan Garh, a city near Jaipur in the state of Rajasthan is awaiting way for tourists. A big and beautiful 35 seater bus that he owns has not been lucky to get some human touch for a very long time now. The necessity to earn living of his family has now compelled him to sell chickens in the city. But who will buy them? How the other dwellers of this tourist based towns and cities surviving? Are they able to earn enough for the least luxury of having a good meal?

This morning I was talking to Samir from Port Blair. This sweet and highly educated boy, who did not get a quality job even after completing his M.ed; was successfully meeting the needs of his family by running a hotel and car supply business for years now. However, Corona Virus breakout has made his entire family dealing with the fear of unknown and unsure future.

Every day thousands of such people like Bal-Bahadur, Suraj, Samir and their families are falling victims of unforeseen circumstances that have arisen as a result of Covid 19 situation. Unless we do not be a little more sensitive, with a little more precise planning for the welfare of the society, so many thousands of families will not be saved from this unimaginable catastrophe.

On a daily basis our newspapers and television channels are sharing datas about the spread of Corona, such as how many more patients have been added, how many have died, what more terrible days are coming, etc. By doing this they are inserting more fears in people's minds. I don't know who is benefiting out of this, but we, the mango people are suffering terribly in psychological distress. Media should less propagate the negative stories and focus more telling the stories of honest joys which is necessary for the survival to bring back the confidence in the minds of the survivors and daily fighters. The media needs to understand that just by watching or hearing or reading about a frightened society when you open a TV or a newspaper, any one will unknowingly fall a victim of depression or even anxiety attacks or mental imbalance. O media! You will have a lot more occasions in the future to make money, for now kindly refrain from featuring stories that breaks the morale of millions.

In no way can I disagree that Corona is a terrible disease and a little carelessness can lead to a lot of danger. It is off course necessary to explain to the mass about the Do’s and Don’ts to protect ourselves from the pandemic. The administration also needs to perform a repetitive check on the whether the steps are being followed in a proper way or not.

But what happens when loops get created on this long list of Do’s and Don’ts?

When the Administration lay out an order of running the offices amidst partial Lockdown? When it is made mandatory for the office goers to reach their destinations between stipulated times? Not being able to meet the rules is also resulting in a day or half-day pay cut.

Such situations obviously force an employee to reach his Office anyhow. There comes an employee pushing and shoving himself in a crowded bus or may be fighting the mass to get a seat into an auto-rickshaw. Do you think that there is any possibility here for him to maintain a safe 2 meter distance from others? Will this not lead us to a much darker future? Don’t you think that there is lack of planning from the administration? Is it the right way to execute the Unlock process?

Once upon a time, another contagious disease Tuberculosis or TB, took the shape of an epidemic. The disease is still rampant in our country, although now there are medicines and treatments for the disease. But it still kills countless people every day. Wearing a mask is also mandatory in TB, but how do you identify the TB patients around you? While traveling on the public transport daily, we find so many travelers sneezing and coughing without a proper mask. And unknowingly we come in contact with them daily. We will not even mind sharing a packet of fried nuts or other snacks with him during a fun chat. Right? But still we manage to come back home healthy.

Your serious consideration about the influence of Corona and acting according to the precautionary measures is absolutely understandable and appreciated. However, clinging to the issue may not turn out to be healthy in the long run. We cannot step into a life that is completely isolated from the society, only with the fear of inviting death caused by Covid-19.

Corona effect

It's time to evolve stronger. We have to ring a strong wake up alarm to our inner strength and following all precautionary measures we need to start living our lives all over again! Come; let's spread fun and laughter together! Let's know the unknown! Let's explore the beauty of the nature! Let's Travel Again!