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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.)

Mirror, Mirror on the Easel

An eye for an I makes the whole world see.


Frida Kahlo, Self-Portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird, 1940.
Frida Kahlo, Self-Portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird, 1940.

“There is no self-portrait of me,” Gustav Klimt said, though he could have solved this problem easily by picking up a brush. “I have never painted a self-portrait. I am less interested in myself as a subject for a painting than I am in other people... Whoever wants to know something about me... ought to look carefully at my pictures.” Genuine disinterest in self-reflection (no pun intended)? Or was he manifesting Samuel Johnson words: “Each person’s work is always a portrait of himself.”


Every art student has grappled with the self-portrait assignment – the intimidating and quintessential ‘Who Am I?’ Whether it is a freshman in Studio Art 101 or an established artist, the undertaking never gets easier. Looking in the mirror is not for the faint of heart, no matter your age or profession.


Gurusiddappa GE, Self portrait, 2024
Gurusiddappa GE, Self portrait, 2024

In a previous article we discussed portraiture, but the artist’s self-portrait is a genre entirely unto itself. After all, “Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom.” (Lao Tzu) Artists painting themselves is almost metaphysical by construction. Manjit Bawa painted himself like one of his typically serene, isolated sages against a flat, deep maroon background. Souza’s self-portrait is a distorted head, Husain is barefoot in a white kurta pyjama, Raja Ravi Varma is regal in an academic classical style. The artist’s identity is inextricably tied to their art. Francis Bacon said, “I loathe my own face, and I’ve done self-portraits because I’ve had nobody else to do.”


The self-portrait is undoubtedly the most convenient subject for a painting, always present when you are, but it requires confronting your own demons and making decisions about what to show, how to show, how much to edit, how much to ignore. It requires an “ability to observe without evaluating,” to quote philosopher J. Krishnamurti. Artists’ self-portraits span the spectrum from realism to performative theatre. Leonardo da Vinci and Rabindranath Tagore with their flowing beards and locks, depict themselves with equally inscrutable countenances. Dali, with his trademark moustache and brilliant eyes makes a knowing caricature of himself. They are evidence to Henry Ward Beecher’s statement that “Every artist dips his brush in his own soul, and paints his own nature into his pictures.”


Rembrandt van Rijn’s fascination with himself is unmatched among artists. Creating more than a 100 paintings, etchings, drawings and sketches of himself, it is in all likelihood, a record for self-portraiture. Almost always set against a dark or stark background with no objects for distraction other than the occasional hat, the paintings focus entirely on the artist’s visage – documenting his life and the process of ageing. Though nowhere as numerous as Rembrandt, Picasso’s self-portraits, lined up chronologically from age 15 through 90 are a record not just of his development as an artist, but can double as a lesson in modern art history itself.


It is Van Gogh’s self-portraits which are possibly the most well-known, always him staring directly at the viewer with that dizzy, swirling background, presenting his vision without guile. The unique power of his brushwork causes the viewer to pause, forgetting if only for a moment, that they came to see the portrait of the man who cut off his ear. For absolute directness, however, it would be difficult to find self-portraits more compelling than those painted by Frida Kahlo. “I paint self-portraits because I am the person I know best,” she said, presenting herself unforgivingly, not just physically but emotionally – the canvas truly was her mirror on an easel. In this era of selfies and filters, these works are, if nothing else, a lesson in honesty.


Amrita Sher-Gil painted herself delightfully in various incarnations, including as a Gauguin inspired Tahitian. Perhaps misguided, but she was young, one might say unfiltered, and trying on different personas to see what fit. In more recent times, Cindy Sherman is her own artist, subject, muse and viewer but says, “Everyone thinks these are self-portraits but they aren’t meant to be. I just use myself as a model. I feel I’m anonymous in my work. When I look at the pictures, I never see myself.” The viewer, however, is always looking for the morphed Sherman in her work. Even when disguised and dressed up to be someone else, both artists are still conveying a truth about themselves to the world.


The self-portrait exercise soon teaches the art student that identity and representation isn’t confined to facial recognition. Every religion, philosopher, and neurologist has explained that the self is so much more than one’s physical entity. Doesn’t a person’s book collection often reveal a lot more than the smile on their face? Contemporary artist Gurusiddappa GE is front and centre in his self-portrait which doesn’t show his face at all. Fingers to ears with his back to the viewer, there he is, surrounded by the names of masters and peers, who crowd his own creative practice. Carrying the weight of the artistic endeavour, searching for his own identity, that faceless person is, without doubt, a portrait of the artist himself and of every artist past, present and future.


(Meera is an architect, author, editor and artist.)

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