Kashmir Inc urges Govt to bring tourism, other sectors on track

Srinagar, Mar 4: The Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) in a joint press release with the The Kashmir Tourism Players on Monday urged the State Government to take all measures required for bringing the Tourism and other sectors of our economy back on track.
They said that they will make all out efforts to ‘defeat the motivated propaganda by vested interests, intended to target economy of Kashmir and to prevent people from interacting with Kashmiri people’.
KCCI said that it was unfortunate how social media, some selected TV Channels and print media were being used to spread false and misleading news. The statement added that the divisive elements are attempting to influence the secular and unbiased opinion of a majority of people by exhorting them not to visit Kashmir.
“In this hour, it is the responsibility of all public thinkers, intellectuals and members of the civil society to expose elements behind these sinister campaigns. Time has come to ask uncomfortablequestions and seek answers from those busy in distortion of facts,” KCCI said.
“True picture of Kashmir awaits unprejudiced minds to see for themselves how far from reality the obfuscation is. We are proud, as ever, of our hospitality, humanitarian values and secular ethos,” KCCI said.
The statement added, “the Kashmir Tourism players urged all secular and right thinking individuals, interested in knowing the truth to see how negative image of our place and people is projected. All this for what? Only for elections. The politics of hatred and communalism has found no takers as the recent domestic election results for four states indicate and the escalation of conflict has been discouraged by all global powers. Patriotism seems to be the last refuge for some elements and needs to be seen in the light that it deserves.”
The statement also gave pointers as to why people should come to Kashmir.” If you want to escape unrelenting warmongering by sections of the media, if you are tired of unashamed ridiculous news anchors, to know difference between Truth and Hype, to know how propagation of Hate Politics has alienated people, to know how good our people are, in particular youth, who have been pushed to the wall, to know how secular our people are, who opened their doors for the visitors, stranded or otherwise, in moment of crisis, to know how appreciative we are of the help extended and doors opened to our people, especially students, when under attack from goons and hooligans in various States, to know that like all human beings, what we strive for is respect, honour and a life of dignity.”
The Joint press release was sent out by: The Kashmir Chamber Of Commerce & Industry (Kcc&I), PHDCCI J&K, Kashmir Hotel and Restaurant Association (KHARA), Kashmir Hotel And Restaurant Owners Federation (KHAROF), J&K Hoteliers Club, Pahalgam Hotel And Restaurent Owners (PHARO), Jammu And Kashmir Hotel And Restaurant Association (JKHARA), Travel Agents Association Of Kashmir (TAAK), Travel Agents Society Of Kashmir (TASK), Jammu & Kashmir Tourism Alliance (JKTA), Tourist Trade Interest Guild (TTIG), Nigeen Tourist Traders Association (NTTA), Adventure Tour Operators Association Of Kashmir (ATOAK), Travel Agents Federation Of Kashmir (TAFOK ), Domestic Tour Operators Association Of Jammu And Kashmir (DTOAK), TAAI JK Chapter
, Houseboat Owners Association (HBOA), Urban Travel Agents Association (UTTA).