Regretting the negative portrayal of Kashmir by some television channels, Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti today appealed the media to portray the place with all its facets including aesthetic, spiritual and adventurous.Addressing a function after launching a film on the spiritual and hospitable aspects of life in Kashmir, the Chief Minister said tourism to Kashmir is not about its physical beauty alone but the exploration of a deep rooted spiritual system which needs to be experimented. She said hospitality and warmth are deeply ingrained in the life of people here which has aptly been reflected by the film.The Chief Minister said there are countless examples to illustrate this hospitable nature and tourist friendly attitude of its people. She recalled that when recently Amarnath Yatris were killed by some enemies of peace, people thronged hospitals to donate blood and even took to streets to condemn the heineous crime. Similarly, she said last summer a Shikarawallah lost his life while saving his guests. “These are the empirical evidences of this hospitality”, she said and appealed local, national and international media to highlight these aspects while reporting or commenting on Kashmir.
Mehbooba Mufti regretted that the negative portrayal of Kashmir has affected the tourism industry of the State badly which employs a sizeable chunk of population. She said her Government would be planning a much more intense promotional campaign to persuade people to come to the State. She said the Tourism Department has been asked to prepare for a good winter season this year for which preparations are being made.
Minister for Public Works, Naeem Akhtar; Legislators, Anjum Fazili and Khursheed Alam; Vice Chairman, JK TDC, Rafi Ahmad Mir; Commission Secretary, Tourism, M H Malik; heads of several wings of Tourism Department; members of tourist trade fraternity; mediapersons and a large number of people were present during the screening ceremony.The film-The Warmest Place on Earth- has been produced by Jaibeer Ahmad for J Walter Thompson producers and it brings to fore the hospitable, warm and spiritually rooted nature of the people of the place. The screening of the film received a warm reception from the audience.