editorial:
An interesting case has come up in West Sikkim where two US nationals have been taken into custody for having paraglided into Sikkim from Nepal without the necessary paperwork. The case remains under investigation, but what has come out thus far suggests that the professional paragliders were here on the invitation of event-organisers based in Sikkim. In these days of Wiki-leaks which have unveiled Central Ministers as tattlers to American foreign service officials, it is obvious that the duo currently in a remote West Sikkim police lock-up, did not come here on an espionage mission. The rules and laws which control visits to this tourist-destination-state are such that what is at worst a lapse in paperwork, is, for all practical reasons in the present case, a criminal offence. It is expected of the agencies tasked with responsibilities of national security [which can be the only reason why travel to Sikkim is restricted] to take up the case based on the evidence at hand and the circumstantial culpability of the two “illegal intruders”. What is, however, confounding is the combativeness with which the Tourism Department is tearing into this transgression.
Officials at the Department appear convinced that the two paragliders are not spies, and if they are so convinced, then they should be mediating on behalf of the arrested duo with the agencies following the letter of the law in prosecuting them. What the Department appears to be intent on doing, however, is to make an example out of this case by going extra strict. Definitely take action against those in Sikkim who convinced the duo to give established regulations governing travel into Sikkim a go by, but as far as the two foreign nationals are concerned, liaison with the cops to present the case as one of oversight, compromised by people here, and not as a criminally inclined act of illegal intrusion by the guests. The Department could even have also stayed away from the issue all together, taking action against the ‘handlers’ here on its own, but with its joining issue on such a strong note, it has presented a very unpleasant face. Given that the department has remained unable to make holidaying in Sikkim less complicated [even for the “high-paying dollar tourists”], it should at least not present itself as an agency fixated on strengthening red tape. There are enough organisations unrolling miles of it [red tape] already and the hospitality industry here could have done without the Department too joining that group. The two foreigners arrested on charges framed under the Foreigners Registration Act should be seen as victims of a tasteless fraud played on them by those who encouraged them to take a direct paraglide from Eastern Nepal into Western Sikkim, and the Department of Tourism should have lobbied for some laxity. That would also have been a wiser route to take because once the American embassy gets into the act and starts making enquiries, the case will be settled, that much is definite. When that humbling moment comes, tourism in Sikkim could have earned a face saver if it had fielded at least someone who batted for the misdirected tourists.
An interesting case has come up in West Sikkim where two US nationals have been taken into custody for having paraglided into Sikkim from Nepal without the necessary paperwork. The case remains under investigation, but what has come out thus far suggests that the professional paragliders were here on the invitation of event-organisers based in Sikkim. In these days of Wiki-leaks which have unveiled Central Ministers as tattlers to American foreign service officials, it is obvious that the duo currently in a remote West Sikkim police lock-up, did not come here on an espionage mission. The rules and laws which control visits to this tourist-destination-state are such that what is at worst a lapse in paperwork, is, for all practical reasons in the present case, a criminal offence. It is expected of the agencies tasked with responsibilities of national security [which can be the only reason why travel to Sikkim is restricted] to take up the case based on the evidence at hand and the circumstantial culpability of the two “illegal intruders”. What is, however, confounding is the combativeness with which the Tourism Department is tearing into this transgression.
Officials at the Department appear convinced that the two paragliders are not spies, and if they are so convinced, then they should be mediating on behalf of the arrested duo with the agencies following the letter of the law in prosecuting them. What the Department appears to be intent on doing, however, is to make an example out of this case by going extra strict. Definitely take action against those in Sikkim who convinced the duo to give established regulations governing travel into Sikkim a go by, but as far as the two foreign nationals are concerned, liaison with the cops to present the case as one of oversight, compromised by people here, and not as a criminally inclined act of illegal intrusion by the guests. The Department could even have also stayed away from the issue all together, taking action against the ‘handlers’ here on its own, but with its joining issue on such a strong note, it has presented a very unpleasant face. Given that the department has remained unable to make holidaying in Sikkim less complicated [even for the “high-paying dollar tourists”], it should at least not present itself as an agency fixated on strengthening red tape. There are enough organisations unrolling miles of it [red tape] already and the hospitality industry here could have done without the Department too joining that group. The two foreigners arrested on charges framed under the Foreigners Registration Act should be seen as victims of a tasteless fraud played on them by those who encouraged them to take a direct paraglide from Eastern Nepal into Western Sikkim, and the Department of Tourism should have lobbied for some laxity. That would also have been a wiser route to take because once the American embassy gets into the act and starts making enquiries, the case will be settled, that much is definite. When that humbling moment comes, tourism in Sikkim could have earned a face saver if it had fielded at least someone who batted for the misdirected tourists.
An opportunity which could have really boosted the promotion of paragliding in Sikkim with the presence of international champions and created a trans boundary Himalayan adventure route, now killed by some inept and foolish local handling and compounded by misdirected fervour of the Department who just haven't got their priorities or concepts right.
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