THE GODS OF THEIR OWN COUNTRY!

The tragedy occurred in Thekkady, Kerala, in which 45 tourists lost their lives has been be- mourned by thousands all over India. A hasty enquiry into the incident has been initiated. News papers printed out whatever they considered right; news channels made it a sort of celebration. The official version, as always lacking in quality & clarity, tried to blame the tragedy on a couple of people and washed their hands as usual. The people lost their lives never uttered a word of complaint & they never said HOW HAPPY THEY WERE WHEN THE TRAGEDY TOOK THIER SOULS!

The inefficiency of the driver of the boat, the improper design & construction of the ill fated boat, the inefficiency & neglect from the part of the forest guard on the boarding point, the senselessness of the tourists who moved swiftly onto a side of the ill fated boat when they sighted a herd of elephants & a million other THEORIES OF PROBABILITY were circulated & discussed day and night. The person who gave the fitness certificate to the boat came again to inspect the boat after the tragedy & gave it another fitness certificate of perfection. The farce continued with at the least the people of Kerala watching with bated breath.

What people forget is that THE TRAGEDY WAS WAITING TO HAPPEN IN THEKKADY, all these years! And, SUCH TRAGEDIES ARE WAITING TO HAPPEN IN MOST OF THE TOURIST SPOTS IN KERALA! And, people forget this fact too that it is the SHEER LUCK OF THE TOURISTS WHICH SAVE THEIR LIVES DAY IN & DAY OUT IN MOST OF THE TOURIST SPOTS OF KERALA!
When KNOWLEDGE, EFFICIENCY, DEDICATION, STRICT COMPLIANCE TO THE SAFETY STANDARDS & MEASURES, PROPER IMPLEMENTATION OF THE RULES & REGULATIONS, STRICT ADHERENCE TO THE RULES & REGULATIONS & PROPER GUIDANCE have to be the corner stones of ANY QUALITY TOURIST FACILITY OR SPOT , excluding these very things, one will find everything else in OUR GOD’S OWN COUNTRY, KERALA!

When Thattekkad (in Kerala) Boat Tragedy mitigated 18 innocent lives of hapless school children, there too we had enquiry missions & fault finders galore! But, none could give back the precious lives lost. Instead, we got another number of enquiry & inquiry reports. There too we had culprits & irresponsible people in large numbers. But, in a month or so all that happened in Thattekkad was completely forgotten and ALL PATIENTLY WAITED FOR ANOTHER TRAGEDY TO HAPPEN, DUE TO INEFFECIENCY, TILL THEKKADY HAPPENED!

When tourists go for boating all they expect & wish for is enjoyment with 100% safety to their being. But, what is offered is 100% enjoyment without any guarantee provided for one’s safety or life! IN THE TOURIST SPOTS/PLACES OF GOD’S OWN COUNTRY KERALA, THE OFFICIALS ARE THE GODS! What they do or utter is the ULTIMATE TRUTH & WISDOM; the rest is rubbish! In the category of officials, all from the sweeper to the manager are included! When a driver of a tourist department cab (carrying tourists to Rajamala-Munnar) & his chamchas think it is not worthy to stop where there is a water fall, as he is busy to finish the trip as early as possible that he can go to the cinema with his girl friend, he will stop the cab due to the pressure from the passengers -read tourists- for a second or to & then THREATENING THAT HEAVEY BOULDOURS WILL FALL FROM THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN (ANAMALAI) start the cab & leave the place immediately, making the tourists sitting idiots!

When the tourists in the Silent Valley National Park, Palakkad, Kerala start to enjoy the wonderful beauty of the setting sun from the top of the Watch-Tower (Around 5 in the evening!), FROM THE HEAVENS THE GOD - the driver of the forest department vehicle or the qualified guide provided ( the sweeper or a rubber tapper provided from the OFFICE OF THE GODS at the starting point ) from the starting point – for which we have to pay 150/- bucks - THUNDERS THAT it is time to go back as at 7pm we have to be at the staring point as the GUARD GOD at the entry point (1hour downward from the watch-tower) has to run an errand for his drunken friend! In most of the days, at the OFFICE OF THE GODS, the GODS will be busy with MAKING THEMSELVES BUSY THAT NOTHING WORK PROPERLY! WE OFTEN SEE THE GODS MOVING HERE & THERE LIKE LIGHTNING INSIDE THE OFFICE OF THE GODS & ORDINARY MORTALS WAITING THE GODS TO HAVE A PASS TO ENTER THE PARADISE WITH AN AUTHORISED & AUTHORITATIVE GUIDE, WHO IS THE WISDOM PERSONIFIED!

At Parambikulam, Sholayar, Athirappilli & Vazhachal Water Falls and a lot of other tourist spots TOURISTS GO TO ENJOY AT THEIR OWN RISK & PERIL! In most of the tourist places in Kerala, THE SECURITY & SAFETY OF THE TOURIST IS THE LEAST CONSIDERED FACTOR! Everywhere THE TOURIST AUTHORITY GODS (officials = the sweeper to the manager) KEEP DOING WHAT THEY HAVE BEEN DOING ALL THESE YEARS......THAT IS DOING NOTHING! When something tragic happens, THE GODS ENGAGE THEMSELVES IN THE GAME OF “BUCK PASSING” till the tragedy is forgotten!

The tourists seldom remember/think that KERALA IS A PLACE WHERE TORNAEDOS CAN THROW A TRAIN OUT OF ITS TRACK & TAKE A HUNDRED LIVES, COMING FROM NOWHERE! And, they never will know that MOST OF THE BOATS WITH THE TOURISM DEPARTMENT, IF EXAMINED PROPERLY, WILL HAVE ONE FATAL FLAW OR ANOTHER, WHICH WILL COME TO THE PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE ONLY WHEN THERE HAPPENES A TRAGEDY LIKE THAT ONE HAPPENED AT THATTEKKAD OR THEKKADY! And they will never understand that in Kerala (as is in most parts of our dear country India) THE RESCUE OPERATION IS THE COLLECTION OF THE DEAD BODIES, hours after a tragedy strikes! And, the poor tourists will never know that KERALA IS A STATE, WHICH SITS IT’S HANDS VOLUNTARILY TIED IN FRONT, DOING NOTHING ON A VERY DANGEROUS TIME BOMB NAMED MULLAPPERIYAR DAM (Near Which the Thekkady Tragedy occurred!), which can just erase 3 or 4 districts of Kerala in no time, if collapsed! What is known for sure is that the thrifty Keralite will rise as a phoenix from any disaster and move forward in THE TRUST & BELIEF THAT NOTHING TRAGIC WILL HAPPEN........ AGAIN!!!