The Lankan Example

In the last few months, I have seen a couple of people plan their honeymoon in Sri Lanka. Colombo is fast emerging as a serious threat to Bangkok as the preferred overseas destination for longish weekend breaks by the mildly well heeled. An expat ex-colleague who was supposedly an Indophile decided to purchase real-estate in an island off Colombo before he left the sub-continent.

It is remarkable how quickly the Sri Lankans have erased memories of a civil war that lasted decades and worked to develop their country as the tourist hub it used to be. The resurrection efforts are all-encompassing. From advertising to infrastructure development to ensuring service levels lead to favourable word-of-mouth publicity.

In contrast, we have allowed the Kashmir problem to degenerate almost to a point of no-return. A trip to the state a couple of years ago left us awestruck at the splendour. But the pitiable condition of the local populace who were dependent on tourism led income was depressing. One could get around paying rockbottom prices for almost everything given non-existent demand for services.

Sri Lanka should serve as an inspiration. The ethnic strife and related terrorism had the same proportions as Kashmir (if not larger). All the elements, from cross-border funding to local support to votebank compulsions existed there too. It took political will (largely from one individual) to take a solution to its logical end. Kashmir may be entangled in more historical cross-hairs. However, that has been an excuse for lethargy for way too long. In any case the relative importance of Kashmir as a political issue is high only across the border. It is time for the metaphorical gloves to be off for some time so that the state is restored to complete normalcy. For me, there lies a vested interest in wanting to return to Srinagar as often as is financially prudent.