Ooty: The two-day ‘Tea and Tourism Festival’ that got underway at the Resource Centre for Tribal Culture (RCTC) here on Saturday proved to be the worst in the history of the festival in the hills, as the organizers failed to make it big as in the past, and turned out to be a mere ritual with half-a-dozen exhibitors at the show.
Stating that the Nilgiris district administration, Tea Board and the Tourist department, which jointly organised this festival have lost track this year, Mr. Rajeshkumar James, secretary of the Citizens’ Forum of Coonoor, said that this festival was introduced in 1994 to hold it in winter holidays to bring more tourists to the hills. Over the years it had seen different fortunes and only this year it is being held in summer, but has been reduced to a mere ritual, he lamented.
“Two IAS officers are part of the organisation of this festival. Nobody knows how they could not plan better for this year’s show and why it is being organised hurriedly late in the summer this year. The way in which the festival is being held at the parking lot at RCTC showed that as if some encroachers are displaying the tea there. This is the worst ever show in the history of Tea and Tourism Festival. The Tourism department which already attracted criticism this year for its lax approach in organising summer festival this year, has proved itself to be blunt as it organised this festival in a poor way. Ms. Innocent Divya, Nilgiris collector, who is known as a task master, should take steps to conduct this festival in its original glory from next autumn/winter season as in the past,” Mr. James suggested.
Echoing the same sentiments, Mr. Rohit Jain, former president of the Citizens’ Forum of Ooty, said the organisers should look into the 1994, 2001, 2002, 2009 and 2010 models of this festival to revive it to its earlier glory with festivities, rally, food courts and cultural programmes.
