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Time of India
3 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Tourism has to be conflict neutral activity and should not be politicised: J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday said that tourism should be a conflict neutral activity that should not be politicised. Abdullah, who chaired a symbolic cabinet meeting at Pahalgam in Anantnag district of southern Kashmir, where 25 tourists and one local were killed in the attack on April 22, said that he had conversations with the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, regarding some concrete steps needed for the revival of tourism in J&K. 'In my experience, I believe that tourism should be a conflict neutral activity and just an economic activity. Unfortunately it has been often politicized but our effort will be to insulate tourism from the situation here,' said Abdullah, while interacting with the reporters after the meeting. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Secret Discounts Car Insurers Don't Want You to Know AutoTrends Undo J&K CM said that the Prime Minister has also taken some steps for revival of tourism and he also held a meeting in Delhi recently focussing on the resumption of tourism in J&K. 'I also met the PM during a recent NITI Ayog meeting in Delhi. We discussed some concrete steps for revival of tourism here. I also met the Home Minister there. I cannot give out all the details here,' said Abdullah. Considering the Union Territory status of J&K, Abdullah said that here tourism is his responsibility but the security of tourists doesn't come under his purview. Live Events 'Three governments have to work here for the revival of tourism. J&K's elected government, J&K's unelected government and Government of India,' said Abdullah. The J&K CM said that the last few weeks were not easy for the country, but J&K had to suffer the most and the effort of his government is to sail through these difficult times. 'I expect that we will get maximum support from the central government. We will create a conducive situation for the return of tourists,' said Abdullah. After the Pahalgam attack that triggered a mini-war between India and Pakistan, tourism has been badly hit in J&K with 90 percent of visitors cancelling their trip. The administration had also closed 48 tourist destinations for the visitors citing security reasons. 'After the Baisaran attack, we had decided to conduct a security audit of some destinations. 48 destinations have been closed but it is time to review the decision and reduce this number in a phased manner,' said Abdullah. The J&K government is actively preparing to participate in travel fares in the major cities to attract tourists like in Kolkata from where people visit Kashmir in huge numbers during Puja holidays in the autumn. 'We are hopeful that Amarnath yatra, starting from July, will conclude peacefully and all the arrangements have been made for that. But that should not stop tourists from visiting Kashmir soon,' said Abdullah adding, 'Other than Pahalgam and Sonamarg–two routes for Yatra– some other destinations like Srinagar, Yusmarg and Gulmarg will be open for business,' said Abdullah. He also met the members of Indian Association of Tour Operators at Pahalgam to plan out the revival of tourism here.
Indian Express
4 days ago
- Business
- Indian Express
From across country, 60-member group of tour operators embarks on ‘solidarity' tour of Kashmir
With J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah pushing for a return of tourists to the Valley after the industry took a big hit following last month's Pahalgam terror attack, a 60-member group of tour operators from across the country has embarked on a 'solidarity' visit to Kashmir. This is the first group of tour operators from outside Jammu and Kashmir to visit the Valley after the April 22 terror attack in which 25 tourists and a local man were shot dead in Pahalgam. The visit is expected to give a push to the government's plans to revive tourism. The government is also planning to set up a memorial for those killed in the terror attack. The visitors include representatives of 26 major tour operators and are led by Maharashtra-based Abhijeet Patil, who met CM Omar Abdullah in Pahalgam on Tuesday. 'This tour is more of a solidarity trip with the people of Kashmir to celebrate bonhomie,' Patil, from Raja Rani Travels, told The Indian Express. 'After the (Pahalgam) attack, we saw how the people spontaneously condemned it. We thought we also need to stand by them,' he said. Patil said that tour operators from Maharashtra had reached out to the Chief Minister after the attack. 'Initially, we were 10-12 operators. But then it went up, and today we are 60 members here (in Pahalgam),' he said. 'The entire travel industry is being represented, and it is beyond our expectations. We wanted to show solidarity with the people of Kashmir and send the right kind of message.' Chief Minister Abdullah, after holding a Cabinet meeting in Pahalgam in an effort to instil confidence in tourists, interacted with tourism stakeholders from the Valley as well as the tour operators from outside J&K. 'In my mind, the most important thing is, it is very heartening that this initiative came from them. They said they want to come,' Abdullah said. Patil said they did not want any assurances from the government, just correct and timely information. 'To be honest, we are here on a friendship trip and we want to build on that,' he said. In Pahalgam for the Cabinet meeting, Abdullah on Tuesday cycled through town to send a message that the Valley is safe. The J&K government has decided to set up a memorial for those killed on April 22. The memorial will be set up at the Baisaran meadow in Pahalgam, where the tourists were killed. The J&K government is also planning to participate in tour and travel festivals across the country in its effort to bring tourists back to the Valley. 'We are exploring how best we can participate in the upcoming travel fairs, especially TTF Kolkata and Ahmedabad,' Omar said. 'We are working with stakeholders and tourism officials… We hope that, God willing, with the successful culmination of the Amarnath Yatra, we can tap into some traffic from West Bengal during Puja holidays,' the Chief Minister said. Bashaarat Masood is a Special Correspondent with The Indian Express. He has been covering Jammu and Kashmir, especially the conflict-ridden Kashmir valley, for two decades. Bashaarat joined The Indian Express after completing his Masters in Mass Communication and Journalism from the University in Kashmir. He has been writing on politics, conflict and development. Bashaarat was awarded with the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards in 2012 for his stories on the Pathribal fake encounter. ... Read More
Hindustan Times
6 days ago
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Cheteshwar Pujara breaks silence on person who nearly got him dropped in Australia: ‘His name isn't in the book'
Cheteshwar Pujara has spoken again about the emotional turmoil he faced during India's historic 2018/19 Test series win in Australia, a moment that was detailed by his wife Puja in her book The Diary Of A Cricketer's Wife: A Very Unusual Memoir. Speaking about the book, the couple revealed the intention behind revealing the phone call incident where Pujara accidentally overheard a conversation suggesting he could be dropped from the side. Puja said the goal was never to create controversy but to show the kind of composure Pujara maintained in that moment. 'The idea to write that incident was not to describe it. The idea was how he kept his calm and didn't get affected, showed courage and resilience,' she said. 'The one intention wasn't to malign anyone… The intention was to inspire everybody.' When asked whether the person mentioned in the book knew about it, Puja added, 'I don't think anyone knows. The purpose is just a 2-line thing and not what has been highlighted.' Pujara, too, stressed that the episode was never meant to name or shame anyone. 'The person's name is not there in the book for a reason. If we wanted to expose someone… I don't want to dwell too much into it, yes I was disappointed about what was said,' he said. 'But at the same time, you move on, you look at the bigger picture. When you are representing the country, your job is to win matches for the Indian team.' In the book, Puja revealed that Pujara didn't speak about the incident until his birthday after the tour was over. While reading out birthday messages, Puja recalled the cricketer going silent after a certain message was read out, and after being pressed upon, Pujara replied, ''This guy you're praising wanted me to be dropped from the team because of fitness issues.'' During the tour, Pujara produced an impressive performance in the Melbourne Test; however, at the same time, his father was also undergoing heart surgery in Mumbai. "The next morning, I was up at 3.30 a.m. to inform Cheteshwar that the procedure had been a success. I tried to speak to him in hushed tones, but this ploy was a failure. 'Go get a double hundred,' I whispered. Cheteshwar did not get a double ton. He got out caught and bowled by Nathan Lyon for 193 … I was a wee bit disappointed, but perked up when my father-in- law remarked: 'This is even bigger than a double century. He has done well for his country and the team.' Coming from a man who was difficult to please, this was a huge compliment!," she wrote.
NDTV
7 days ago
- Sport
- NDTV
"If We Wanted To Expose Someone...": Cheteshwar Pujara On Australia Tour 'Phone Call Leak' To NDTV
Cheteshwar Pujara 's wife Puja, made some staggering revelations in her book "The Diary Of A Cricketer's Wife: A Very Unusual Memoir", narrating her husband's journey in becoming one of the most reliable Test batters the nation has produced. While Pujara did become the new Mr. Dependable for the team in the whites, the past couple of years saw his career graph go down, with the team looking at younger alternatives. However, one can still not forget the performances he produced in Australia, especially during the 2018-19 tour, which saw India secure a first-ever Test series win Down Under. However, on that series, there were also talks of Pujara being dropped from the team. While the batter wasn't supposed to know about this conversation, he overheard a talk on the phone, and was understandably shaken. Pujara's wife had to work hard to draw this revelation from the cricketer, and she also wrote about it in her book. However, the couple decided against naming the person who had wanted Pujara to be dropped from the team, ensuring no controversy is created. In an exclusive interview with NDTV, both Pujara and his wife opened up about this particular excerpt from the book that made headlines. "The idea to write that incident was not to describe it. The idea was how he kept his calm and didn't get affected, showed courage and resilience. The one intention wasn't to malign anyone, that is not the intention. The intention was to inspire everybody," Pujara's wife said. "I don't think he knows about it," Pujara's said when asked if the person being described in the incident knows about it being written in the book. Puja also intervened and said: "I don't think anyone knows. The purpose is just a 2-line thing and not what has been highlighted." Pujara then explained that the intention behind writing the episode wasn't to expose anyone, hence, the name of the person wasn't mentioned in the book. "The person's name is not there in the book for a reason. If we wanted to expose someone... I don't want to dwell too much into it, yes I was disappointed about what was said. But, at the same time, you move on, you look at the bigger picture. When you are representing the country, your job is to win matches for the Indian team. I had a job at hand. That was our first every victory on Australian soil. When I was playing Melbourne Test match, my focus was how can I contribute to the team's success. I was in good form. There was a bit of a niggle. I ended up scoring a hundred and the team won that match. Everything settled down. My thought process was to create history with Team India," he said. "There were a lot of things at stake, my father wasn't well. There were a lot of thoughts when I was going to play the Sydney Test but at the same time, but I knew Puja was looking after my father. So, I was relieved," Pujara asserted. Listen to the latest songs, only on
Hans India
7 days ago
- Hans India
Woman sells minor son for Rs 18K
Jajpur: In a shocking incident, a woman allegedly sold her seven-year-old son for Rs 18,000 at Bada Suara village in Jajpur district. The incident came to light after the grief-stricken father of the boy sought the help of the district authorities to get back his child. Reports said Prasant Parida of Bada Suara married Puja in 2017. The couple had a son named Sairam. Prasant, who used to wash dishes at a hotel to eke out a living, was raising his son in the best possible manner with his meagre income. The couple was going through a rough patch due to domestic issues. When their tiffs became irreconcilable, Puja left for her parents' home with her son four years ago. Prasant, however, remained in constant touch with his son and provided his needs. Four years later, Puja returned to Prasant's house but without their son. When Prasant questioned her about his son, Puja revealed that she had sold Sairam for a sum of Rs 18,000. She further said she took this step due to financial hardships. 'My wife returned home without my son. When I questioned her about the child, she told me that she had sold him to some men for Rs 18,000 so that she could arrange medicines for her health. Despite repeated pleadings to tell me about my child, she refused and did not share any information,' said Prasant. Prasant then approached District Collector P Anvesha Reddy. The Collector has asked the Additional District Magistrate to look into the incident. Meanwhile, the District Child Protection Unit (DCPU) has also been informed to submit a report on the child's whereabouts and probe the veracity of the allegations. The DCPU has taken cognisance of the case and started an inquiry on Friday. 'If the allegations are true, then due proceedings will be taken as per law,' said a DCPU official.
