Rash Driving In Pangong Lake: When Will Indians Stop Tourist Hooliganism?

In a recent video, posted by a user named Jigmat Ladakhi, Indian tourists were spotted rash driving an Audi through the crystal clear lake of Ladakh- the Pangong lake. Not only this, but the two men also installed a foldable table and chair laden with food and alcohol on the lake. Social media has gone haywire in calling out the disrespect of the tourists towards the ecosystem of Ladakh and tourism in India. But is this even shocking?

The tweet embedded with the video was captioned as "I am sharing again another shameful video. Such irresponsible tourists are killing ladakh . Do you know? Ladakh have a more than 350 birds species and lakes like pangong are the home of many bird species. Such act may have risked the habitat of many bird species.”

Rash Driving In Pangong Lake And Such Incidents

I have never liked visiting tourist places. Not because they are not serene or laden with historical meaning but because they are deteriorated by tourist hooliganism. Wherever you look, there are crushed cans or torn packets of chips littered on the grounds. There are names scribbled on the pristine walls of the historical places, disrespecting their significance. There are tourists who make “fun” an activity to litter the environment, and the infrastructure and even abuse women.

Many cases of the foreigner or Indian female tourists being harassed while they were on a tour have surfaced in past few years. India is first among the eight countries where it is unsafe for women to travel. Recent cases of gangrapes of a Swiss tourist (in Madhya Pradesh) and a New Delhi student (in Delhi) have raised concerns over women's safety at tourist places. They have caused drop India’s tourism rate by 35 per cent since December of 2021. Recently Aranyak, a thriller series starring Raveena Tandon and Parambatra Chatterjee, showcased the grim reality of how foreign female tourists in India are manipulated and abused by men.

Do Indians even deserve to visit scenic tourist destinations?

These cases and scenarios raise impelling questions- do Indians even deserve to visit scenic tourist destinations? Shouldn’t their definition of tourism and “fun” be scanned through and penalised for being a disguise of hooliganism? Shouldn’t the government take strict actions to avoid such cases of littering and harassment happening in tourist destinations? And do Indians even know how valuable the tourist destinations are for their country?

In our country, tourism is one of the most important means of earning revenue and getting employment. The World Travel And Tourism Council reckoned that tourism in India contributes to 9.2 per cent of its GDP, generating a revenue of rupees 16.91 lakh crore. The Indian government has invested a lot in growing tourism in India as it not only boosts the ">economy but also attracts foreign exchange.

India has many factors that can make it a hotspot of tourism in the world- religious, cultural, historical and environmental wonders. But if our own people continue to disrespect the importance of tourism and litter the ecosystem of tourist places, how will India ever achieve that goal?

It is important that tourist hooliganism is taken seriously by the government and penalised. Moreover, Indians should be educated about the ethics of responsible tourism before visiting any tourist places. I am not saying one should not have fun on their tours but the "fun" must not be about disturbing others- the other tourists, the ecosystem or the importance of a tourist spot.

Tourism should be about celebrating the wonders that inhabit our country. It is not about taking the tourist places for granted just because they are labelled as public property. A lot of efforts go behind maintaining tourist places. The least we can do to contribute to the growth and economy of the country is to stop our hooliganism and preserve the wonders that our country is known for.

The views expressed are the author's own.