Incredible India

Incredible India

What does incredible India campaign in New York and in MP Tourism function have in common?

At one end we have the a million dollar campaign by the CII and the Ministry of Tourism called Incredible India@60 to sell India to foreign investors and the American public with 41 events, 13 conferences and panel discussions, nine cultural performances, three dinners and seven receptions planned in 4 days.

At home in Bhopal the Madhya Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation officials were buisy attending conferences outside the country and at a diminutive function held at the boat club the CM honoured 41 Kailash Mansarovar pilgrims by offering them coconut, shawl and Rs 30,000 in cash. Besides inaugurating airlines and rail ticketing kiosk and website at Boat Club, he also unveiled the 'Braille menu card' prepared for the hotels of Corporation which was managed by ARUSHI an Ngo. A new bus service was flagged off between Bhopal and Jaipur which was on hold for a very long time.

While at New York there’s salvo with an excess of Indian dance, craft, politicians, captains of industry, music and food for Americans .Our state witnessed nothing but CM bombardment of pronouncements for Multi-pronged action to develop Madhya Pradesh as a major tourist destination. Not to miss the grants to pilgrims proceeding to Pakistan-based Nankana Sahib -- birthplace of Guru Nanak -- and Hingraj Devi like Haj pilgrims and Mansarovar pilgrims.

The day is still an unfamiliar day to most officials and the citizens of the state of MP.

A setback……

Holding the Incredible India celebrations in New York alongside the United Nations general assembly is a gamble of millions. With the American media preoccupied with the Iranian president at the United Nations one can't help wonder whether the message of Incredible India@60 has reached it target audience. In Bhopal it was just advertisements in the newspapers with no proper message to suffice the celebration of world tourism day?
There was not one article other than the advertisements in both the places in spite of spending so much on the ads no editorial support or coverage was visible. No one is objecting to the million being spent in New York or lakhs going wasted on ads and printing by MPT.

All I am asking is will the objective be met OR they’ll keep promoting few agencies and officers and spending people hard earned money.Is there any body to review the campaign in New York and the money spent on the advertisement of MPT on world tourism day and other development activities? Both the heads of the department claims the objectives have more than been met. I wish ….they along with an expert, monitor and review marketing activities instead of trusting officials who are working without a vision on their whims and fancies. Who knows what the officials are up to? Hundreds of posters and banners and colorful advertisement also have a cost….

I wish they do a consumer assessment for every single advertisement and foresee the rise or the decline in the market coming from where the advertisements are released.

The question now is India at 60 is incredible but is it credible? India needs a strong brand image to lure foreign investors, but failing to deliver on promises can cause irreversible damage than do any good. Similarly MPT needs an image in its own state and country first.

If people don't live the brand promise... it's dead. We can advertise a bad product only once. India requires its creaking infrastructure to be set right for the experience to change, experts felt and so does the Chairman MPT feels.

The Taj Mahal, the Himalayas, the Stupas, Khajuraho Temple, they can be the sentinels of Incredible India, but what can make India credible is... progress in all areas. India should not be more incredible. It should be more credible.

Besides revamping urban and rural infrastructure, including roads, ports, airports, power sector, water, sanitation, corruption at various levels should also be checked upon.

Suffering has no class, caste or gender

On one hand Mobile health clinics are to come up in tribal areas of Madhya Pradesh to make up for the lack of basic medical care in the impoverished regions. Besides providing service at the doorsteps of tribal living in these blocks, the clinics will also render services during natural calamities. Sounds really concerned……..

But, what about the facilities in the capital -Bhopal?

Few days back while I was sitting with my crazy friend, waiting for the other friends to arrive at the newly spruced up MPT outlet Winds and Waves –the most picturesque milieu of the town. I was trying to juggle with the waiter for the order of ready-made tea .a tea bag in lukewarm water with an apathetic waiter was the only preference available.

Before I could even get a chance to ask why so/ I got a distressed call from my school mate to assist her in getting her unconscious mother admitted to a hospital in our own city Bhopal.
She expressed her annoyance for not getting through my mobile and than informed about her mothers accident. Her mother had fallen from stairs and suffered brain hemorrhage. Undergoing an operation to remove clots also did not give her consciousness.

The family wanted her to be relocated to Bhopal Memorial Hospital but the neurosurgeon at the hospital refused to admit her mother giving all horrendous reasons and defying all morals. He dreaded infection to other patients in the ICU, if this unconscious mother of my friend would be admitted. Before approaching me the family had arrange letters from the Minister in charge for the gas hospital, MLA, minority commission head, news paper editor and whoever they thought would facilitate.

Maliha wanted her mother to be shifted ahead of his brother’s departure date for US. The duo wanted their mother to be attended by the best doc and Hospital where facilities existed. Their mother was not being admitted because of the neurosurgeons lame explanation and the PRO boisterous behaviour. In spite of the fact, that the patient was a card holder of the hospital where privileges are given to the gas victims first. Nothing in the world can stop a patient being admitted in a hospital. But not to be understood by the few.

Meanwhile aloo paranthas with curd were ordered which were delicious as the order was repeated. The crazy champ wouldn’t have repeated the order, if the paranthas were not fresh and delicious. I left the restless soul with them and without displeasing others by my unavoidable conversation; I managed to move with my mobile and swung into action. Made calls to few doctors and lawyers for advice on this matter and reached a concord.

Although 9 am was fixed for the meeting in the hospital for us to make things swift. It was also decided that no hard talks, irritation or provocation would be met with, to avoid any kind of kind prejudice towards the patient. I was confident.

My bunch of friends had arrived and the champ was in a nasty mood by then. Steered near the lake and discussed the business plan and ended up listening FM mirchi becoz one of my friend is an RJ who happened to be with us. Some tips for programming and good conversation were chatted about. Finally the ending had to be with good house music for five of us for which my car sterio was used.

Both of us reached a bit earlier to discuss all the relevant details the Doc may ask. Discussed, assembled all the reports of the previous hospital and a NOC the Doctor for shifting her mother. Before approaching him we both waited for 40 minutes outside his cabin. The meeting was successful by gods grace after resentment; I did not loose an opportunity to make him agree to book the bed in the ICU.

It was not nepotism but presence of mind against societal attitude, sedate morals of few doctors who forget the meaning of their profession.

The Bhopal Mud Challenge

It was undeniably a challenge to bike through the mud said Asif who won the man of the meet award for speed 2007 Mud Challenge Dirt Track at the Kalia Sot Dam on July 8.

In its fifth year this annual event was slightly different though. We at Miracles thought what better way to draw attention towards water conservation than biking at the dam that once was full of water. In the past four events we had dig up artificial pits and create mud by pouring water it them. The idea was to have a race with challenges. We succeeded partially in creating the fun and adventure we had desired but this year it was nature at its best to present the icing on the cake. Two days before the event the monsoons arrived. The met department predicted heavy rainfall for July seven, eight and nine. We even thought of postponing the event. But than as they say whatever happens for the good. We decided to go ahead with the event after consultations with our bikers. Asif in particular said it would be a challenge. And challenge it was quote.

And this is what the Hindustan Times reported while Quoting Asif the next day. “The track was muddy and it was challenging to ride a bike on it. Gripping was bit of a problem.”

At Kalia Sot there was not a drop till the rains happened last year. The monsoons were a bit late and we had organized our rally a little earlier. Kali Sot even before the onset of the monsoon this year had sufficient evidence to show that there was good monsoon last year. Heavy rainfall is best desired by reservoirs and the August 14 rainfall in 2006 was just an indication of what happened last year.

This year for once as predicted by the met department it did not stop raining on the mud challenge day either. The Incessant rains had not stopped since the night before and but failed to dampen the spirits of the adventure seekers and nature lovers.

Natives started coming in by nine in the morning. The participants and organizers were there an hour before. The stage was set for the riders to burn the Tyres in this weather. The track of 16 km was irregular, clammy , sticky and waterlogged at 5 places. The passion to ride despite all odds, overtook everything and challenges thrown by the monsoon could not play spoil sport.

There is temple at an elevation in the midst of the dam and if sufficient water is there it surrounds the elevation from all sides thus making it like a crown on an island. Lacily for us this island is surrounded from three sides only and we had access to this place. From here it gave a view of a valley, encircled by people watching down the gorge-the stage which was clearly visible by the branding done- “this mud challenge”.

The track prepared in-between 2 natural lakes created by last year’s rains near the temple was bustling, at one corner you could hear the loud cheering for favorites, on other hooting sound as if the rider skipped and at the last corner of the triangle clapping sound for those who cleared the pass over the mud pit.

This went on for one and an half hour and finally 5 champions emerged. The competition was tough. It required strength agility, composure concentration and above all speed to be there at the top.
This year we had a new motto as well. As the rain gods were more than obliging we had thought of postponing the event as I wrote above. It was this motto that inspired us at miracles to carry on.
We should welcome the rain, we said and what better way to welcome rains in the city of lakes other than biking when it is raining.