THELIGHTOFANDAMANS: Heritage Tourism: Alternative Plan for Viper Island

Thursday, September 27, 2012

Heritage Tourism: Alternative Plan for Viper Island

THE LIGHT OF ANDAMANS | VOL 36 | ISSUE 01 | 01 OCT 2012

Heritage Tourism: Alternative Plan for Viper Island

Mukeshwar Lall, a local-born and a renowned historian and filmmaker of Andaman and Nicobar Islands with about 40 documentaries to his credit has joined the movement against the Viper Project and is providing all support by highlighting the historical facet of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. An ardent collector of archival documents, photographs and books on the penal history of the Islands, he had also written the voluminous script for the Viper Island Light and Sound Show, which was shelved later after the equipments damaged by tsunami.

Speaking to The Light of Andamans, Mukeshwar Lall gave an alternative integrated project on heritage tourism for Viper Island. "There is a need to restore the important structures at Viper Island archaeologically," he said. "A circuit with Viper-Chatham-Cellular Jail and Ross Island can be planned with various activities under Heritage Tourism. A talking façade, Light and Sound Show, Museum and a Research Centre related with the freedom struggle of 1857 can be put up at Viper Island. A convention and seminar hall and a well-stocked library with other amenities can also be planned. Massive replicas of the complete jail can also be erected in Viper Island.

"There are so many Second World War bunkers and tunnels in Port Blair and surroundings, which are in a state of neglect. A well-planned conducted heritage tour of the Islands with proper technological support will go a long way in the promotion of tourism in the Islands," Mukesh said.

Tourists interested in Heritage and Historical tourism should have sufficient activities at Viper Island itself. "What we have done at Ross and Cellular Jail should not be repeated anywhere else," Mukesh said. "We have decorated the interiors of Cellular Jail galleries with bright colours, which does not evoke the fear and pain, inflicted on the freedom fighters," he added.

Commenting on the Yacht Marina Project coming up at Viper Island, he said that Yacht Marina can be only an added tourism activity. However, he pointed out that the proposed site for the 30-room accommodation is reclaimed land, which is unsuitable for construction. He also said that selection of Viper Island for such a project shows the insensitivity of the Admn towards the sacrifices of the freedom fighters.

1 comment:

vinothkumar said...: interesting blog. It would be great if you can provide more details about it. Thanks you

Andaman Tourism; August 19, 2013 at 3:29 AM

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About The Light of Andamans

The Light of Andamans’ was born out of the zeal and determination to fight against the suffocating Kafkaesque atmosphere on the society that existed even after 30 years of Independence under bureaucratic rule. It was a hangover of the ‘Raj’that extended much too long in the Islands.

The Light of Andamans’ was started in 1975. The paper had always been a crusader, taking up the causes that no other newspaper would touch. In doing so, it very often stepped on the toes of the authorities and had to face persecution in the form of denial of advertisements and numerous court cases against it. For a small stint, the publication came to a halt in 2003.

Gezira Publications Private Limited took over the paper in the year 2005 and transferred the title in a bid to revive the second oldest newsmagazine from extinction and also to carry forward the mission.

The Newsmagazine, under the new management, has undergone a sea change both in form and content. It turned into a full-fledged tabloid with 10 pages with plenty of photographs making both pleasing to the eyes and soothing for the mind. “It has acquired a position where it influences the policies in vital matters concerning the development of the islands, protection of aboriginal tribes and addressing the problems of the disadvantaged groups. The newsmagazine is known and appreciated for its bold, free, fair and balanced reporting.”

Late Govinda Raju and his team worked very hard to rebuild the reputation, goodwill and a healthy new image of the newsmagazine brick by brick. After the demise of Mr Raju in 2010, the magazine is now being edited by Zubair Ahmed and published by Basudev Dass. The newsmagazine continues its mission of highlighting policy issues pertaining to the Islands.