| Font Size |
An increasing number of Westerners are shunning the beaches of Goa and palaces of Rajasthan to experience the reality behind British film.
“Everybody is talking about Slumdog,” ‘Times Online’ quoted Ganesh Tikonkar, a guide for ‘Reality Tours’.
This company takes about 50 people a day through Dharavi, Asia’s biggest slum.
“Now people want to see the real thing,” he added.
The foreigners are spending three hours following Tikonkar to explore the life of slum dwellers.
The film, which has won four Golden Globe Awards and is the frontrunner at the Oscars, tracks the story of Jamal Malik, a dirt-poor orphan from the slums who astonishes India when he does well on the country’s version of ‘Who Wants to be a Millionaire?’
The “highlights” of Dharavi expedition include a stop at a stall of six toilets that serves 16,000 people and a stroll alongside a river so black and septic that it oozes rather than flows.
“The movie is a fairytale. This trip shows things are a little darker, a little grittier in reality,” said Bill Alves from Seattle, who is retired and went on the tour after seeing the film.
The Dharavi expedition is part of a new tourism that is gaining traction across the developing world.
The advocates say that the Dharavi expedition help to illuminate the slum’s qualities.
“Yes, these places have their grim side, but many people who go on the tours are surprised to find thriving, diverse communities, who live together peacefully,” said Deval Sanghavi, of Deval, a Mumbai-based NGO.
Discuss this story on expressindia forums
|
|
The judiciary in India is no more independent today.It is ironical that judges in india are appointed by the judges themselves.No country of the world has such mechanism for appointment of Judges.The term 'independence of Judiciary' not only means that it should be free from any political interference but it is governed by an implied condition of judicial integity and accountability.The recent incidents of corruption shows that 'corruption' has engulfed the only institution of justice.As a citizen of India if i ask what is the process of appointment of judges in India?The answer to it would be vague and unclear.The Indian Judiciary has actually went beyond the constitution thereby usurping the power of the legislature and executives and howsoever just and reasonable the reason may be for such judicial creativity ultimately it is unconstitutional.This opinions are expressed by me on the existing system of the process of appointment of judges in india and on the Judges Cases-I,II
The slum is a truth.The poor in India is a truth.Many places in India are dirty too.Let the rich that has created the poor and exploited the poor clean up India.There is no need to hide the truth from anyone.Moreover it gives hope that some tourists will do something for the poor to uplift the poor as our egoistic rich and the corrupt politicians have no feeling for the poor.All good tourists are welcome to our slums!
If foreigners are spending three hours following Tikonkar to explore the life of slum dwellers I'm interested in why they want to explore the slums.Is it because they just want to see it or because they want to do something about it and help?I spent three months in Calcutta taking care of sick and dying children, orphans and families in extreme destitute situations.If people want to see the slums do something about what they are seeing, don't just watch and walk away because when people do they are just giving children/adults hope that really isn't coming.
Why are the rich so worried about reputation of our country. It is a fact. All this happens because they save tax, bribe the government, not hold government accountable, secure project with political clout and deprive the ordinary citizens of India. The wealth disparity is so large that some businessmen buy jets for their wives, live on subsidized fuel imported from Middle East, launder money in those countries and would like to live like slaves in those countries. Some money laundering coutries in Middle East live on India, because Indians siphon money there. Best example is Raju