Why turning Pondicherry into a model destination could help BJP

For residents of Puducherry—better known by the more lyrical French name Pondicherry—there is a feeling of impending doom. The Goa-fication of this idyllic French enclave seems imminent, as it lies within an all-too-easy reach of the bursting megapolises of Chennai and Bengaluru. Particularly since two places have a similar appeal: laid-back Creole and Latin charm with lovely old homes, scenic seascapes, and a plethora of cafes, eateries and affordable liquor. The only difference is that Goa has far more space to accommodate all the Indians and foreigners seeking sun, sand, solace, soulfood, spirits, spirituality and even sin. Pondicherry, especially its tourist-magnet French Quarter (commonly called by the politically and demographically incorrect term White Town), is a fraction of Goa’s size though both former colonies joined independent India as Union Territories comprising several geographically disconnected segments. Pondicherry city is spread over just about 20 sq km, and is the major tourist attraction, although the total area of the district is 293 sqkm. Goa, by comparison is spread over 3,702 sqkm and can thus accommodate far more visitors and even settlers. Moreover, Pondicherry has just 25 kilometres of beaches while Goa has 105 kilometres. But many resident Goans are feeling under siege nevertheless as susegad-seeking ‘outsiders’ are now eyeing properties in villages, not just the towns. So the alarm of Pondicherrians is understandable. For New Year’s Eve 2022-2023, their city was the most searched destination and ‘welcomed’ some 4 lakh revellers that weekend. Locals were marooned in their homes as rivers of noisy holidaymakers surged through narrow streets (made narrower by haphazardly parked KA and TN licence plate vehicles) till the wee hours, leaving behind bewildering amounts of garbage. Clearly something has to be done. Fast. Interestingly, Goa has a BJP government as indeed did Himachal Pradesh till last year, whose capital Shimla has had to deal with ever-rising numbers of tourists clogging roads and swamping the city. Gangtok, the capital of Sikkim (ruled by SKM, an NDA ally) has the same area as Pondicherry (governed by another NDA ally AINRC along with the BJP) and has taken many crucial steps to alleviate its tourism-induced congestion problems and improve visitor experiences. As the lone place with a BJP presence left in south India, the benefits of turning Pondicherry into a model destination are obvious. It being a Union Territory helps too. What works in one place cannot be unthinkingly applied in toto elsewhere; but broad principles can be learnt and appropriately adjusted. No government wants to drive away tourists and the related revenue-generating activities even to please their permanent residents, so win-win solutions have to be found. Key to the success of any plan is cooperation and participation of locals, which Sikkim has achieved principally because it has a relatively small population—6.7 lakh; Pondicherry’s is double that at an estimated 12 lakh. Luckily, the UT has a high literacy rate: 93 per cent among men and 84 per cent among women. The benefits of a well-executed strategy to maximise tourism potential without spoiling the charm of Pondicherry should be easier to disseminate to elicit their cooperation. Indeed, a Pondicherry Plan is not a far-fetched idea, considering the alternative is there in plain sight: chaos, like in so many other Indian tourist attractions. The incentive for an NDA ally government to turn it into an efficient, clean, sustainable, modern—in short, model—tourism-sustained destination is self-evident. All that’s needed are a few well-aimed measures, modification and incentives which would be attractive to tourists and local people alike. The first priority is, of course, traffic. Even a decade ago, the number of motorised vehicles at least inside the historic quarter was low. On weekdays, it is still common to see children cycle to school there—a phenomenon that has died out in most cities in India now. But on weekends streets are hard to traverse as cars and bikes are double parked, and pedestrians also crowd roads. Worse still, huge tourist buses disgorge unruly hordes and then park wherever they want. Crowds not only fill up the innumerable cafes, bars and eateries but completely overrun the Promenade facing the beach. While this in itself is not bad news revenue-wise, the resultant littering is disastrous as the Union Territory has a rather patchy record when it comes to garbage and trash collection. The potential for crime amid such crowds is also manifest and the city has been lucky that Goa-type drug and prostitution cartels have not set up shop there—as yet. The countervailing factor in Pondicherry’s case may be the strong presence of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram in the city. Its numerous distinctive grey-and-white buildings in the French Quarter create a serenely spiritual ambience even as the giant golden orb of the MatriMandir radiating an inescapable aura of peace in Auroville (conceptualised and founded by The Mother just across the state border in Tamil Nadu) beckons everyone to aspire to a higher consciousness. Unfortunately, Pondicherry’s profusion of liquor-vending/serving outlets draw in people from Tamil Nadu and Karnataka in search of another kind of spirit-ual sustenance. Alcohol is cheaper than in Tamil Nadu, and as there is strict checking of vehicles bearing out-of-state licence plates at the border to prevent liquor smuggling, many simply down their quota before heading home. Barrel-loads of beer being consumed by motorcycle-borne tourists are a common sight. What can and should be done to make Pondicherry future-ready is very apparent. First, a plan to decongest the city. Using electric vehicles (EVs) to ferry tourists to hotels and other destinations within the city should be a major feature of traffic management. Unlike Shimla, there is space on the outskirts of Pondicherry city to park all out-station cars, buses and motorcycles and transport tourists onwards via EVs—locally owned and operated buggies, rickshaws and motorbikes. Trains are by far the most eco-friendly way for tourists to travel, especially since they carry people from city centre to city centre. Yet, inexplicably, there is no superfast train to bring visitors to Pondicherry even from Chennai—where most of the cars, motorbikes and buses come from. Bengaluru, Kochi, Madurai and Coimbatore should also ideally be accessible by good Shatabdi/Vande Bharat type services, after which EVs can be used for getting round the city. In many coastal Indian cities such as Kochi, vehicle emissions are now so high that even the sea breeze is not enough to dispel fumes. Restricting petrol and diesel-spewing vehicles would preserve Pondicherry’s traditionally low pollution levels and enhance its appeal as a residential destination and a tourist one. Cycling is a very popular mode of tourist transport in the west but is hardly utilised in India. Pondicherrians already cycle a lot; tourists can do the same there. Schemes have to be put in place to encourage local residents to operate EV shuttles and thereby benefit from the restriction of regular outstation vehicles in city areas. There would also be opportunities for local ancillary services at the car and bus terminus outside the city such as eateries for bus drivers and maintenance and management of parking lots. Improved infrastructure could actually entice people to stay longer and thereby increase hotel and restaurant earnings. Once there are less parked vehicles on Pondicherry’s scenic roads, there will be more space for tourists to walk about and sight-see; and residents will not be constantly annoyed by either wrongly parked cars jamming their streets or slow-moving vehicles filled with lost tourists trying to locate some destination. The city’s unique architecture and colour schemes will also no longer be obscured by parked vehicles. Selfie-seekers would certainly be better served this way! Pollution of another kind also needs drastic action. In Sikkim there are stiff fines for littering, and in many cases have to be paid by tourist operators. This puts the onus on them to make sure their customers do not strew trash. Pondicherry cannot implement Singapore-type draconian anti-littering laws (where even carrying chewing gum is contraband) but stiff fines levied not only through live policing but also intensive CCTV coverage could certainly curb careless littering. Naturally all these measures have to be accompanied by the city administration sprucing up its act too. It has to ensure there are no more dug-up roads and uneven sidewalks encroached by vendors and house owners. The central canal separating the French Quarter from ‘Black Town’ has to be cleaned so that storm water does not accumulate and putrefy. There must be harmony in architectural additions and streetscapes across the city, not just in Intach-supervised White Town. These are just a few of the measures that need to be discussed and implemented if Pondicherry is to survive the tourist tidal wave. No doubt experts will point out many more issues. Being India there will also be plenty of reasons offered for not changing anything at all, as there are always vested interests that try to maintain a status quo. But the danger of letting things slide anyway is equally evident in countless other tourist destinations in India, particularly hill stations. A conclave in Pondicherry to brainstorm on how to prevent its Goa-fication could be a good first step. Invitation to stakeholders and representatives from states and cities that have implemented innovative solutions could yield valuable, actionable ideas. Then all the UT’s government needs is the political will to make it happen. The tourist tidal wave will only get bigger; the intention is to avoid drowning and instead ride it to benefit both local Pondicherrians and holidaymakers. The author is a freelance writer. Views expressed are personal. Read all the Latest News , Trending News , Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook , Twitter and Instagram .