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From The Editor In Chief
Paradise
lost and paradise gained are time-worn phrases. But if you look at our
two major features this week, you will see why I use them. The chaos in
Kashmir is compounded, with the latest round of accusation and counter-accusation
centring on a proposed visit by members of the Hurriyat Conference to
Pakistan. As Kashmir boils over again, our story addresses key questions.
Does the Centre have a strategy? Does the Hurriyat know what it wants?
What is Pakistan's game plan? Where does Afghanistan fit into this bloody
jigsaw? The questions are easier to ask than to answer. We attempt to
cut through the blarney and make sense of it all.
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| Chakravarti
(left) and Banerjee in the Poovar backwaters |
It's much
easier to address the paradise-gained part. Kerala isbeautiful,
and Indians have known it for years as a heaven of seascapes, palm trees,
spices, Kathakali, Kalaripayattu-and militant labour, inefficient industry
and state-sponsored apathy. But over the past few years, the delights
of tourism, embellished with superb value creation with backwater holidays
and ayurveda cures, and aggressive marketing have ensured that Kerala
is now an internationally acclaimed destination. These days, the state
is mentioned in the same breath as Bali, Rio and Polynesia. Tourism is
growing at 12 per cent a year, compared to just over 1 per cent for India.
Even government officials admit it's about the only thing that works in
Kerala.
We sent
Senior Editor Sudeep Chakravarti and Chief Photographer Dilip Banerjee
to capture a slice of this success story and record the teamwork that
the Government and business display in tourism, which is becoming a benchmark
for other states. "The roads are awful and there's still a lot of
infrastructure required," says Chakravarti, a regular at Indian and
South-east Asian idylls. "But it's easy to see why Kerala works with
its combination of beauty, peace and active marketing." In a particular
four-day burst, our team criss-crossed the tiny state, clocking more than
1,200 km in cars, speed-boats, catamarans and on foot, with hardly a break.
It was exhausting I'm sure, but I didn't hear any complaints.
(Aroon
Purie)
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METRO TODAY
