Open letter to foreign tourists visiting India
Dear foreign national,
We like that India captivates you. We live through your charming snapshots criss-crossing the country. Your photographs at the Taj Mahal remind us again and again of its timeless beauty and we can almost hear the awe in your voice when the countless forts across Rajasthan charm you. Your love for all things antique and "Indian" in turn makes us sit up and think if we take our culture and our country for granted.
When your posts on Facebook lament about not having seen the snake charmers, or focus instead on that one cow on the road, we know it is easy, sometimes natural to think in stereotypes. The odd Coldplay video perhaps re-enforces your beliefs.
Many of us Indians are no different.
I had misconceptions about Abu Dhabi before I shifted there two years ago. Despite my friends rather "different" experiences, I chose to think within the box. But expectedly, not everyone was in an abaya (veil). In fact, there were sun-bathers on the beach, boats at the marina and kids whizzing by on hoverboards. We all live and learn.
I follow your posts, from the backwaters of Kerala to the tiny cafes in Ladakh, and it makes me happy that India always has something for you, no matter when you come calling. There is one thing though: leave hearsay and old perspectives behind and you will just be richer with the experience.
I have made my mistakes, like spending a trip in Spain looking furtively left behind for that elusive thief rather than taking a look at the Gaudi masterpieces. But what doesn’t hurt can sometimes at least make us wiser. Lonely Planet and it’s variations, Google reviews are all cheap ways to not make a costly mistake.
It saddens us immensely when we read about rapes and nightmares of our guests. A 19-year-old German has reported that she was raped and sexually assaulted by an auto driver in Delhi recently. She took a lift from him while walking alone at night, something most countries advise their tourists against, in India. Ask us, the locals, and we have many horror stories to tell. Why then would some of you still go against the flow?
While we are aghast at such incidents against all women, Indian or foreigner, and in no way defend what happened, sadly the reality is that most cities in the world, however developed they may be, also have an underbelly. Even Germany has lately been in the news for the infamous Cologne attacks.
There is no better way to see India than to roam around street markets like Janpath or Chandni Chowk, in the old part of town; tiny ethnic mirrors on your bags reflecting a carefree soul or replacing the "downward facing dog asana" with Surya Namaskar in the land of yoga.
Generally, most Indians are friendly but the sad truth is, sometimes there is a thin line between showering a stranger with affection and what he illogically presumes is encouragement.
We see photographs of you spending time with your guides in Rajasthan and sharing a meal with them in Goa. There is nothing wrong in that but make friends only when you are doubly sure. Not everyone has bad intentions, yet there have been cases like a Japanese visitor last year accusing a tourist guide of raping her after he came to drop her to the guest house.
I have learnt that feminism can always have another day; sometimes to insist that I am single and capable of looking after myself is pointless. I wouldn’t do it on Delhi’s roads after dark even though it is my hometown, nor would I carpool with strangers if the Odd-Even car rule for particular days comes back. Of course, many coming back late from work don’t have this choice, but you do, so listen to the warnings from your countries like the UK, Canada, Australia.
Your governments don’t exaggerate when they ask you not to travel alone, walk isolated streets in the dark or flag down strangers at night in our country. It’s not a reputation we are proud of, but many places across the globe have worse records. I have heard the same for Brazil, South Africa or even the streets of Chicago.
Caution doesn’t mean you have to leave the adventure behind, it is almost similar to a Donald Trump staring down at the Americans. Just be aware of where the dangers lie. The onus to stay safe will always be on you, the others will only end up making the right noises and carrying on with their holiday.
So, with just a little care you will glimpse a side of India that no books can describe, see colours no photograph can capture and go back enriched not just in mind and soul but also with heavier suitcases.
On a parting note, just one friendly advice: If you are going to hike alone to seek that nirvana from a sadhu off the beaten track, we ask you to re-consider or at the least not walk that trek alone.
A concerned Indian citizen