The governments of Kerala and West Bengal want to jointly promote their very own brand of history tourism.
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: It's seldom that comrades in West Bengal and Kerala look at each other for inspiration. But the CPI (M)-led governments in the two states are banking on each other to formulate a plan to sweep tourists off their feet. And it's not beach or eco tourism that they have in mind. The brand they are raring to boost is history tourism. And not surprisingly, their perception of history is replete with bloody fights of the proletariat against the bourgeois.
Tourism ministers of Kerala and West Bengal, Kodiyeri Balakrishnan and Manab Mukherjee, have agreed for mutual cooperation in the booming sector during their recent meeting in Kolkata. "I had a talk with the Bengal minister and he was warm to the idea of joint promotion of tourism," Balakrishnan said in Thiruvananthapuram.
"Bengalis would be interested in visiting places of historical importance in Kerala. We are planning to develop a travel circuit connecting the historical places known for struggles against feudalism and colonialism. Take the case of Jalianwallah Bagh. Tourists throng the place because of its historical significance," he added.
The history trail would comprise Kayyur and Punnapra-Vayalar, where communists staged violent rebellions against the Raj or the princely state, and places like Vaikam and Guruvayur, where landmark satyagrahas marked the social reformation of Kerala. If the plan works out, Kayyur in Kannur district and Punnapra-Vayalar in Alapuzha district will be busy spots even after the customary gathering on martyrs' day.
While the improvised itinerary gives tourists a slice of history, a similar plan in West Bengal would take the history-conscious traveler from Kerala and other states beyond the facade of Victoria Memorial and Kali Temple. The Marxists of West Bengal are expected to pore over their state's map to locate the communist equivalents of Jalianwallah Bagh. Each has agreed to set up a tourist information centre in the other state.
"Though the flow of domestic tourists to Kerala has increased manifold, we don't get many tourists from West Bengal. They still go to the north Indian states on holidays. A joint promotion would benefit both the states," Balakrishnan said. The two governments will press the Centre to initiate direct flights between Kolkata and Thiruvananthapuram, he added.
Though the plan is in a nascent stage, it's all Bengal in Thiruvananthapuram this week. Chhau dancers and Baul singers have arrived in the city for the week-long Nishagandhi festival inaugurated on Saturday. The fest, partnered by Kerala and West Bengal tourism, tries to present a flavour of Bengali and Malayali culture.
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