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By:

Naresh Kamath

5 November 2024 at 5:30:38 am

Indian Tourists Need a Reputation Reset

India has long taken pride in the philosophy of ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’ - the belief that guests deserve warmth, respect and dignity. It is an idea deeply woven into the country’s cultural imagination, often been projected as a defining Indian value. As millions of Indians travel overseas every year, the conduct of a small but highly visible section of Indian tourists is increasingly shaping how India itself is perceived abroad. The issue is not about a single incident or a handful of viral...

Indian Tourists Need a Reputation Reset

India has long taken pride in the philosophy of ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’ - the belief that guests deserve warmth, respect and dignity. It is an idea deeply woven into the country’s cultural imagination, often been projected as a defining Indian value. As millions of Indians travel overseas every year, the conduct of a small but highly visible section of Indian tourists is increasingly shaping how India itself is perceived abroad. The issue is not about a single incident or a handful of viral videos but a pattern that is drawing notice from hotels, tourism operators and local authorities across the world. The debate gained fresh momentum after reports emerged of a Swiss hotel issuing a notice specifically addressed to Indian guests. The advisory reportedly requested guests not to pack food from breakfast buffets for later consumption and reminded them to maintain silence in corridors and balconies. Hotels routinely issue guidelines. But when a particular nationality becomes the subject of a specific advisory, it inevitably raises larger questions about perception. “It is a sorry state of affairs. Indians, especially in groups, are displaying atrocious behaviour. This was anyway bound to happen,” says Subhash Motwani, founder of Namaste Tourism. Embarrassing Incidents Whether the notice was justified is another separate matter. The question is why such perceptions are emerging in the first place. Recent months have seen several incidents involving Indian tourists gain traction on social media. One widely circulated video showed travellers performing garba on an airport tarmac in Vietnam. Garba is among India’s most vibrant cultural traditions and a source of immense pride for millions. Yet airports are highly regulated spaces where safety protocols and discipline take precedence over celebration. The incident became symbolic of a larger problem. The rise of social media has encouraged some travellers to treat foreign destinations as stages for content creation. Public dancing, loud celebrations, disruptive behaviour and attention-seeking stunts may generate views and engagement online, but they can also leave lasting impressions on locals and fellow tourists. India is hardly the first country to confront such a challenge. During the 1950s and 1960s, American tourists acquired a reputation for arrogance abroad, giving rise to the phrase “Ugly American.” Britain spent decades dealing with the international embarrassment caused by football hooliganism. China faced similar concerns as outbound tourism surged during the early years of the twenty-first century. A nation’s image is shaped not just by its economic achievements and diplomatic influence but also by the behaviour of its citizens overseas. India today finds itself in a similar situation. Indian tourists are now among the most visible traveller groups across Europe, Southeast Asia and the Middle East. This is, in many ways, a remarkable success story. However, with visibility comes responsibility. Hospitality professionals across destinations frequently point to recurring concerns. Excessive noise, queue-jumping, disregard for local regulations, overcrowding hotel rooms and attempts to bypass established rules through jugaad are among the complaints often cited. Collectively, repeated experiences can create lasting perceptions. The most revealing aspect of the debate is that Indian travellers often display exemplary discipline in countries known for strict law enforcement. In destinations such as Singapore, the UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, compliance with rules is generally high. Complaints tend to emerge more frequently in places perceived as relaxed or lenient. That suggests the challenge is not one of awareness. Most travellers understand the rules perfectly well. The problem is often a mindset that rules can be negotiated when consequences appear unlikely. Changing that mindset is far more important than introducing additional regulations or issuing fresh advisories. Every interaction at an airport, hotel, restaurant, tourist attraction or public transport system contributes to how a country is viewed. These everyday encounters often shape perceptions more powerfully than government campaigns or tourism advertisements. As India stakes its claim to a larger role in the world, its citizens must recognise that national prestige is shaped not only by economic achievements and diplomatic successes, but also by everyday behaviour abroad. The overwhelming majority of Indian tourists travel responsibly and leave behind positive impressions. Their conduct rarely becomes news because courtesy seldom goes viral. Yet a handful of highly visible incidents can overshadow thousands of positive experiences. The challenge is to encourage responsible travel and a greater awareness that behaviour abroad carries consequences beyond the individual. The conduct of Indian citizens overseas should reflect the confidence and values of a nation seeking not merely recognition but enduring respect. (The writer is a senior journalist based in Mumbai. Views personal.)

Do You See What I See?

Updated: Jan 20, 2025

Art is both a mirror and a storyteller, demanding a discerning eye to unwrap its myriad layers of meaning.

Art
Raja Balwant Singh’s Vision of Krishna and Radha by Nainsukh. Jasrota, c. 1745-1750. Metropolitan Museum of Art

Figurative art, be it a portrait, landscape, still life, scene of war or a moment of daily living, is typically a more comprehensible subject for most people. If you can point to it and say whether it is a person, place or thing, you feel like you know what you’re seeing. You may find it beautiful or ugly, intriguing or pointless, but you feel you know what it is. But do you, really?


Looking at a work of art is not the same as seeing it. Both are essential in order to appreciate the layers and nuances that constitute its entirety. You might walk through a gallery or museum, and stop to linger at just a few pieces. There may be a time when you return, a bit more circumspect, to really look at a particular work. Something may have caught your attention, drawn you to it. Often this is the power of familiarity. Millions flock to catch a glimpse of the Mona Lisa in the Louvre. It may be a surprise to see how small the actual Dancing Girl of Mohenjodaro in The National Museum in New Delhi is, after having leafed through her image in so many books. A viewing of Norwegian artist Edvard Munch’s The Scream may explain a popular emoji.


The oldest known figurative cave art depicting people, animals, and outlines of human hands, was recently discovered in Sulawesi, Indonesia and dates back 51,200 years to the Paleolithic era. 40,000 to 14,000 year old art in the Lascaux and Altamira caves in France and Spain, and Bhimbetka rock shelters in Madhya Pradesh similarly depict animals and hunting scenes, with some strikingly sophisticated drawings of horses and boar. Adhi Agus Oktaviana, an Indonesian rock art specialist has been quoted to say, “Humans have probably been telling stories for much longer than 51,200 years, but as words do not fossilize we can only go by indirect proxies like depictions of scenes in art.”


One could argue that all art is a form of story-telling. Even when unintentional, it offers a narrative on the society from which it is born, and in modern times, has been used as a medium to make deliberate social, political, or personal statements. Traditional art across India whether it is Warli or Gond painting springs from the tradition of story-telling through specific and particular symbols and techniques which form their own self-contained language. These living traditions are now seen replicated on everything from trays to fabrics, becoming easily recognisable for their stylistic elements, but devoid of meaning when separated from their deep cultural rooting.


As societies evolved, art came to depict gods and kings, mythology and religion, court and country life, in addition to nature, built forms, and people. Stone and bronze sculptures and paintings of gods and goddesses in many parts of the world, and frescoes of saints in Medieval European churches, for example, have known typologies. But a work of art can also be appreciated just at face value. Even if you had never heard of Christianity, The Pietà, created by Michelangelo in the late 1400s, may awe or move you to tears, for the sheer expressive beauty with which the figures have been carved out of marble, to the point where it seems like they could breathe. Or closer to home, a Kangra miniature of Raja Balwant Singh’s Vision of Krishna and Radha (attributed to Nainsukh and family) can entice someone with its minimalist composition, while someone else may marvel at the intricate designs of the textiles. Yet another may be in awe of the jewellery and gems on the throne. An architect may focus on the marble inlay of the walls or the flattened perspective. Connoisseurs may read historians such as Jagdish Mittal or B.N. Goswami’s scholarly writings, which put all the sociological, mythological, religious and narrative elements together in texts replete with poetry as well as prose. Contemporary artists such as Waswo x Waswo and Shahzia Sikander have incorporated and transformed the Miniature genre itself into their own practices. When one takes the time to really look and see all the many layers that make up this singular ink, watercolour, and gold drawing on paper, the richness of information vastly exceeds the ‘mere beauty’ of the art. You may find yourself transported back in time, not just to the realm of its themes but to the moment when the artist(s) created this work. The artist, whether an anonymous Cro-Magnon or a renowned entity, is resurrected every time their art finds resonance with a viewer.


The hallmark of a true work of art lies in its ability to elicit a response, and engage over a period of time that outlives not only the artist but also the age when it was made. Depending on who is seeing it, when and where, in what state of mind, with what background information, a work of art can delight (M.F. Husain’s toys), confound (Cubism), or shock (Salvador Dali).


So, the relevant question isn’t whether you see what someone else sees. What matters is whether you allow yourself the time and space to see what you see.


(The writer is an architect, author, editor, and artist. Her column meanders through the vibrant world of art, examining exhibitions, offering critiques, delving into theory and exploring everything in between and beyond.)

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