USA to Adopt Varanasi?

[Guest guest]

F A C E S O F I N D I A --- April 24, 2001

By Manisha Parikh Srivastava

Adopting Varanasi

The local muchhad panwala in Benares could well be singing some

videshi tunes soon with the state government inviting the US to adopt

Varanasi

Benares also known as Varanasi and Kashi is considered one of the

most sacred Hindu holy places with over two thousand temples and

nearly half-a-million idols mostly devoted to Lord Shiva and his

family of deities. Keeping in mind the emphasis on visiting holy

pilgrim places at least once in a life-time in belief (or hope) of

attaining salvation, not many even today are likely to drop this city

off their yatra lists. This ancient city on the banks of the Ganga

enveloped in mystic, beliefs and traditions invariably attracts

several foreign tourists, at least those who come with an aim to

`Discover India.'

 

Like many other pilgrim centres around the country, Varanasi,

however, continues to be plagued by the basic maintenance issues and

infrastructure problems. Probably these problems have prompted the

Uttar Pradesh government to invite foreign investments in the state

especially to develop better infrastructure facilities. This

invitation by the state government is most welcome if it helps them

improvise the existing infrastructure facilities or even revamp them.

 

During the recently concluded presentation on Investment

opportunities in tourism held at Varanasi, the secretary and director-

general of U.P. tourism, Desh Deepak Verma, however, had a strange

little invitation for the United States. He invited the U.S. to adopt

the millennia old city as a `sister-city.'

 

What this adoption signifies only the U.P. tourism department can

shed light on, but in normal parlance don't we adopt orphans?

Inviting foreign investment is welcome but why such gimmicks? Is the

state government incapable of taking care of its own cities? Or do

these cities fail to evoke any sense of pride in its people that they

can be put up for adoption?

 

Surely, at least one of the "86 ministers" in the jumbo sized U.P.

state cabinet can be made responsible (and accountable) for the

maintenance, development and upkeep of its cities, if the tourism

department is incapable of doing so.

Paucity of funds with the state government can hardly be an excuse

for this; as in the recently concluded budget session of the state, a

sum of Rs.25 crore has been allocated to meet the expenses of its

ministers, which includes their tea and snack expenses for the year.

 

If state can foot such obese tea and snack bills of its ministers why

does it not have funds to maintain and upkeep its cities?

 

Incidentally, the city of the nawabs, Lucknow, also the Prime

Minister's constituency has this strange label of being adopted as a

`sister-city' by the Canadian government. Surely, the least the Prime

Minister can do is look after the welfare of at least his own

constituency without needing such emotionally wrapped money soaking

labels.

 

And how does this label affect the average Lucknow citizen or

tourist? Exactly a year back when our team was at the Lucknow

airport, the airport did not even have a simple public telephone call

facility (most of the telephone booths at least a year back we were

informed are manned by staff and therefore operational only for fixed

hours, and at 7.00 am they were shut), so this year we skipped the

airport and travelled by road. Did the average citizens even know

that their city had been adopted as sister city by Canada? At least

none whom we spoke to were aware of this, however, the only common

issue with them was the frequent power-cuts especially in the

scorching heat with temperatures soaring to 40 C plus by early April.

[hindweb]

wow how I wish this is true!

[hindweb]

Why just Varanasi, if possible Kashi, Mathura too should be in the list.