Living through the transformation
By Rajeev Sharma

On my first visit to Agartala during March 2005 I was astonishingly amazed at the serene beauty of the land so unknown to the outside world. Touching down at the airport runway on that wet day was scary but the muddy fragrance, which entered the cabin, on opening of the aircraft door, took away the moments of anxiety one lived minutes earlier. 

Agartala, for that matter Tripura, is quite a scenic place. Rain soaked roads and the surrounding landscaped hillocks create a compellingly attractive and admiringly serene impression of virgin, untouched beauty. The immediate reaction from a first time visitor is generally of a pleasant surprise. Tranquility which tunnels through lanes of the city is in deep contrast to metro hustle or to what one finds at even smaller towns of North. The green spread across the town makes it an eye soothing experience. 

But all this itself won’t compel an encore for the visit, I had to learn a little later. 

Several years, I spent during my nascent years at Shimla while doing my schooling, had already left me with bit unquenchable expectations from a tourist destination which only strengthened later when I was to spend a decade at Bombay in eighties. Bombay, itself is not a tourist destination but offers vivid experiences of hospitality one admirably falls for. Both places probably acted as spoiler when I did a two year stint at Agartala and unknowingly charted comparisons. 

Nature, obviously unmindful of the way people inhibiting it live, endowed Tripura with good enough of charm. The problem for an outsider is when he finds that same open arm welcome is not , at least on face of it, on offer when one visits , say, market . The service sense in general is yet to get a professional touch. Retail outlets countrywide are experiencing change. There used to be times when shop owners used to determine service levels. This is not the case now customer has become king and even retailers are not complaining to stand bowed to this new genre of aristocrats. But this level of service sense has not yet reached Agartala. Or may be it is taking little bit more time. It’s real enough tough to experience closed shops from 2 PM on Saturday to 11 AM on Monday and for few noon hours every day. 

For this remote landlocked State if one industry can flourish well, that will be tourism. World over it is the biggest and smartest industry and provides largest number of employment opportunities. It is the only industry which works on market within. Unlike manufacturing business, no product needs to be transported out of the State for revenue to come in. 


On offer would be natural charm of Tripura and the services it can offer. The first one is in abundance here, the second that is service sense, needs to be cultivated. Government encouragement for infrastructural development only would not suffice. Right kind of exposure for handling of customers and guests needs to be evolved. This is bit complex initially. 

“How can I keep open my shop from 12 noon to 4PM?”
“I need to take lunch also”. 
“Where from I would get customers during that period, if I needed to keep my shop open?”

These are some of the questions which would immediately come as resistance to the transformation. But to move ahead and not let others leave you behind, solutions to these queries have to be found and implemented. Counseling would come from right exposure and intelligentsia. Media would also be playing effective role as channel for this addressing and advocating change.

Creating investment opportunities for tourism would require right kind of street atmosphere - a basic showcase. This industry would be looking to source its human resources requirement from within the state. For that to happen, people with right attitude need to be available. 

Present kind of service sense one encounters at markets and bazaars today is something one would least find conducive for hospitality industry to grow here.

It’s a challenge which needs to be met head-on. Tourism is perhaps the only industry which would pay really rich dividends for this tiny state and provide ample employment chances. It is not as much suitable place for manufacturing or similar industry because of lack market opportunities and resource crunch. Having small pockets of hydrocarbon do have sentimental value for people but that would not keep the progress curve going upwardly for ever. 

Let’s use what we have in abundance-the beauty of nature. It would provide earning potential never heard of here and would bring prosperity for all sections of society. We need to welcome outside investments, we need to welcome outside expertise. We need to change the way we handle customers. 

Tourism is retailed on streets!

Let’s change our attitude toward how we service each other and outsiders. Let’s welcome every one who comes to the state with his or her pocket full to spend if given an honest opportunity.

Let’s not intimidate outsiders but do dare them for competition. Compete with best quality of service you have on offer. Let’s learn to smile at each other. Showcase peace and abundance of opportunities. 
Every investor should go back and return with more investors. Every tourist should go back with stories of satisfaction and money well spent. 

Let’s start at home and shop. Let’s start today. Let’s practice tourism with one another before we are inundated with flux of tourists bringing to offload prosperity for us all.