As per a PTI report, addressing a function attended in large numbers, K J Alphons, Union minister for tourism, gave a clarion call for maintaining clean surroundings to boost tourism. The tourism minister further advocated taking adequate measures to ensure that over 25 million visitors came to the country every year, in the next five years.
He argued that India was replete with diverse tourism assets and products which were not being put to efficient use. “India, with 5,000 years old civilisation, amazing culture, beaches, back waters, hill stations and philosophical school of thoughts, is lagging behind in tourism,” he lamented.
He linked cleanliness to civilization and batted for ensuring a cleaner country, noting that if everyone took the onus, the country would become cleaner. “Civilisation is within us and if we don’t demonstrate it then there is no civilisation,” he reasoned.
Arguing that for people “entire nation is a garbage dump”, he said “it is the people only who are dumping garbage so they themselves have to take the responsibility of keeping their neighbourhood clean.”
