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Monday, October 13, 2008

Volvo Asian Race and Cochin city

Another dream project getting pegged in the bureaucratic meddle ton.  It is a long wait for the cochiates to receive Sports lovers and travellers from all over the world at the occasion of Volvo Asian race. If I am not mistaken, this challenge is in the air for more than year. it means this has provided enough time to local authorities to prepare for the gala event. But what is the reality; newspaper and media reports say that we have a long way to host the event though the first leg has already been kicked off. 

My immediate comment to the whole issue is that it creates an opportunity to think about the vast resources and potential around us which is yet to be utlised in a proper way. Marine Drive is in a saggy condition. All the hooplah around the tourism ministry's development plans reflect the lack of coordiantion and vision. it also ensures that they are not responsible for the work they are doing. No matter what happens after the inauguration is not worth to mention.  Why cant we invite global tenders to beautify Marine Drive? Leave it to the entrepreneurs to work for the community and social responsibility. Let it be a tourist spot of world attention. Similar is the case with the other tourist spots in and around city. Let Mattanchery and Fort Cochin are in the custody of the local communities and allow them to organise weekly festivals and shopping centres. Let it be the Queen of Arabian Sea in actual sense; festivals and theatres and colors everywhere

1 comment:

Madhu said...

The fact of giving an opportunity to the locals for conducting and organizing festives is something which had already existed in areas of Fort Kochi. The present Cochin Carnival is an example. But of late there has been a steady dicrease in the interest levels of the local community in involving such activites, which were considered as a unique part of the life of the earlier generations, living around the areas of Fort Kochi and Mattanchery. The yougsters are more interested in drinking and causing trouble to the tourists mainly foriegners, a disappointing story to a place which respected and attracted people from different countries. So whenever we think of the need of involving the local people, especially youth, be it for conducting a massive event like the Volvo Race we have to take a pragmatic approach in indentifying the real interest. It can be done only through bringing awareness of the importance and the benefits of such events to the local community.