Beyond the Horizon
By Pradeep Kumar
Land of Indradhanush – Arunachal Pradesh – with vast tourism potential is waiting for tourists from within and outside India. But tourist flow is not as much below expectation for various reasons.
Firstly, lack of proper road connectivity has been posing toughest challenge in the state spread in vast geographical area for growth of tourism. Though Trans-Arunachal Highway is under construction to provide double-lane road link to all district headquarters but when it will be completed with hardly few months’ working season in a year is uncertain.
The ongoing construction of Taraso-Bandardewa four-lane Highway has made the road accident prone besides causing untold sufferings for the commuters. Why the capital road is in such horrible condition? – was the question of a group of foreign tourists recently.
There are numerous factors which however could make this Himalayan state a favouorable tourist hub.
The kaleidoscopic natural beauty in the periphery of Capital Complex is enough to behold any visitor. Moreover, lush green exquisiteness of this state turns pulsating by wearing an indradhansuh adornment with the change of season.
A rainbow (indradhansuh) is a meteorological phenomenon that is caused by reflection, refraction and dispersion of light in water droplets resulting in a spectrum of light appearing in the sky. It takes the form of a multicoloured circular arc. Rainbows caused by sunlight always appear in the section of sky directly opposite the sun. Rainbows can be full circles but seen only as an arc.
Rainbows span a continuous spectrum of colours. Any distinct bands perceived are an artefact of human colour vision, and no banding of any type is seen in a black-and-white photo of a rainbow, only a smooth gradation of intensity to a maximum, then fading towards the other side. For colours seen by the human eye, the most commonly cited and remembered sequence is Newton‘s sevenfold red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. In Britain the most common is “Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain”, referred to the defeat and death of Richard, Duke of York at the Battle of Wakefield, as mentioned in mnemonic.
However, a short trip to Kra-Daadi district HQs Palin was mesmerizing. Clouds were playing hide and seek atop the Kudung Hills with birds chirping all over while the perennial Palin River flowing as usual unperturbed. On some hill top, a tree mediates like Lord Siva, justifying me to rechristen the state as Nilalaya (home of Lord Shiva), who lives in nature and his neck is blue after consuming deadly poison, named Halahala, emerged during churning of the ocean (Samudra Manthan) to be named Neelkanth (blue throat) that matches state’s sky, which mostly remains blue.
This calls for showcasing this mythical land, known as ‘Land of Last Shangri La’ or ‘Land of the Dawn-Lit Mountains’ or ‘Orchid State of India’; ‘Paradise of the Botanists’ or ‘Land of Festivals’ since time immemorial, through someone who has the caliber to do so.
The state Govt had appointed popular Bollywood actor John Abraham as tourism ambassador in 2016. But has the tourism sector benefitted is a million dollar question?
Interestingly, Buhtan-based Pema L Wangmo operating tourist of many foreign countries, after 15-day trip to Ladhak with 300 Bhutanese tourists, straight landed at Itanagar for five days to assess the tourism potentials of this state. Former APSCW chairperson Nido Marina, Mumbai-based financial consultant Anup Ganguy were instrumental in bringing her here while this editor helped her meeting state’s ‘who’s who’ before visiting few tourist spots.
The natural beauty of Capital Complex had beholden her to assure to make first attempt after rainy season to bring tourist from Bhutan.
However, she has targeted Waii International Hotel here and its branch at Bhalukpong for ensuring comfortable stay to the tourists.
It is time for those who matter to rise to the occasion to rope in professionals, like Wangmo, for giving a new thrust to state’s tourism sector.
This state, which has been my karma bhumi for last 35 years as pioneer print and electronic journalist, is known for its most patriotic people who speak in innumerable languages and celebrate their festivals showcasing unique cultural mosaic and lifestyles to leave the viewers stunned and dumbfounded. The need of the hour is adequate publicity to draw global attention.
I was reminded off famous poet William Wordsworth:
I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o’er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed- and gazed- but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:
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