This paper not only investigates the understanding of holistic development but also intends to foreground the links/bridges that should necessarily exist between all the stakeholders of such an event.
Through this paper I mean to establish the historically specific socio-cultural ethos of the localized which needs to hold primary importance, kept intact and is not muddled up in the process of Jharkhand’s march towards becoming a tourist hotspot; and paralelly inculcate the locals as human resource in all its variegated forms and generate economy for and by the locals in the entire process. A well-established interconnection and an enmeshed linkage between the social, the cultural and the economic vis-à-vis the locals (tribal’s specifically) should be a key to Jharkhand’s tourism industry. The concept of “Subaltern Urbanisation” in the context is drawn from Ranajit Guha’s usage explicating: “contribution made by the people on their own that is independently of the elite.”
In the capitalist structure of the Now, upon who do we lay the onus of holistic development as understood above? Is it the state or the private corporate enterprises? And beyond the two, what is the role of the local actors? How can the localized, circumscribed in the socio-cultural milieu of the immediate, effect a positive intervention to ensure the kind of all round development I intend to imply? I reproduce Guha’s idea of subaltern urbanisation in the quest of the same. My argument encompasses all the players involved in the understanding of the development of the tourism industry in Jharkhand, without compromising on the socio-cultural ethos of the localized and still enabling touristy of the standards of the cosmopolitan.
Keywords: Jharkhand, tourism, growth, culture, politics
Jharkhand is an ultimate destination for nature lovers and wildlife enthusiasts. It is also famously known as ‘The Land of Forests.’ Jharkhand is blessed with an abundance of natural beauty across its lengths and breadths possesses all the characteristic features to find primacy on the tourist map of the country. Jharkhand boasts the unique art, culture and rich, vibrant traditions. Like Karam, Sohrai, Phagua, Tussu, Vaha, Sarhul and others as local festivals while Jhumair, Domkach, Chhau and Mundari its dominant dance forms—is complemented by the skilled human resource it owns. Jharkhand’s potential for growth in cultural tourism, eco-tourism, medical tourism and mineral tourism is well-assorted. The historical importance of pilgrimage and religiosity in Jharkhand dates as back as 200 BC (the Buddhist Stupas of Itkhori). The Bhadrakali temple in Itkhori was built in 9th century AD. And the spatial concreteness across India of Parasnath, Baidyanath Dham and Rajrappa is unmatchable. Chhau Mahotsav, Rajrappa Mahotsav, Itkhori Mahotsav etc. can be marked in the calendar of the Jharkhand state as events to vouch for.
The travel and tourism sector creates more jobs per million rupees of an investment than any other area of the economy. It is capable of employing a broad spectrum of job seekers, including unskilled as well as specialised even in the rural and remote parts of the country. The interest in cultural tourism, spiritualism, ‘wellness’ holidays, eco-tourism and rural tourism would lean to favour Jharkhand. It can provide opportunities to maximise its natural advantages in these areas. A significant hurdle to the growth of tourism in Jharkhand is lack of awareness about the benefits can give a holistic growth to the local population. It cannot become a vibrant economic force unless the local community (both in rural and urban areas) is supportive of tourism. The rural part which largely ignored in tourism development has consequently been deprived of the benefits of employment and income generation from tourism.
In contrast, an awareness campaign that draws out local support for travel and tourism is essential for the long-term growth of the sector. It is also vital to create awareness about the environmental impact of tourism by generating respect for the carrying capacities of tourist destinations. This is very important, as too much exposure of ecologically fragile areas to human interference can lead to irreparable environmental degradation. The local population must be convinced of the need to support such regulations in the interest of long-term sustainability.
What is Subaltern Urbanisation?
“Subaltern Urbanisation refers to the autonomous growth of settlement agglomerations—large clusters of people living in close proximity (which may or may not be classified as urban by the census of India or the relevant state governments)—that are generated by market and historical forces, and which are not dependent on large, traditionally important settlements or planned cities.” According to Mukhopadhyay the idea of ‘Subaltern Urbanization’ is an attempt to investigate the growth of settlements beyond that driven by the economics of large agglomerations as advanced by new economic geography, or directly orchestrated by the state of private corporate enterprise. The object is to focus on the autonomy of the settlement, not in the sense of autarchy, but in the ability to affect its growth process and interact autonomously with other settlements, whether local or global.
This notion of autonomously interacting with both local and global intends to present these settlements as a ‘glocal’ variety. Thus it not only satiates the demand of the cosmopolitan but also autonomously protects and propels the localized – the socio-cultural phenomena that the settlement both represents and is known for. Therefore, subaltern urbanisation is about vibrant smaller settlements—spaces outside the metropolitan shadow—sustainably supporting a dispersed pattern of urbanisation. Concomitantly, subaltern urbanisation refers to an unseen, and often unspoken, process of myriad form, affected by local actors, far from the major metropolitan areas and outside urban schemes.
What is the politics of this ‘glocal’ variant of tourism development?
This is not to be seen as a binary between cities and towns, or even towns and smaller settlements. “Smaller settlements need to be studied not in contrast to large cities, but for themselves, as sites of urbanity, economic activities and social transformations, and for their place in the process of urbanisation, as rural-urban links and as a part of global economy.”
The history of industrialization and urbanization of India in general and Jharkhand in specific rests on the binary between cities and villages. India has been a land of villages and Jharkhand more so a land of forests. These small towns or even statutory settlements are of course metamorphization from villages, and designated as urban by the authorities, but on what factors (morphological, socio-cultural, and economic) does its urbanity depends? Can we boast of urbanity with the local host population being deprived and poverty ridden? India has historically been stratified both socially and economically. Socially it was the Caste Brahmans who controlled the society hierarchized in accordance to caste. And economically it was the Kshatriyas who ruled and owned the lands. Thus the upper castes were the dominant castes historically. When Britishers controlled the subcontinent, it was not a control gained by demolishing the caste hierarchy but it was kind of a settlement between the Pre-colonila rulers and the colonial masters. And post-colonially, that is when India gained sovereignty, the power was transferred to the cream amongst the natives – again the upper castes and class. And when the idea of industrialization and formation of cities as hub of almost everything mainstream (ised), it was again a coagulation of the upper caste and class who not only controlled the cities but also controlled the villages via the cities. In the context of all of this, when we observe the tourism development in the context of Jharkhand as a state, it’s history is a history of rampant oppression of everything local, and out-sourcing of everything possible. This not only destroys Jharkhand economically but the socio-cultural fabric of Jharkhand is ruthlessly eroded.
In order to both protect what Jharkhand already had and what Jharkhand tourism aspires to be like, a holistic, amalgamated kind of approach needs to be deduced. To begin with, to make public sector investment more effective, it is necessary to work towards the inter-sectoral convergence of policies and programmes that could benefit tourism. The state of Jharkhand is aware of the global status and global market trends. But more importantly it should take a note that Jharkhand tourism’s strength is its originality, its history, its essence and its localized specificities. Jharkhand should build on it rather than making a mad rush towards what is global and trendy. The barriers to growth of tourism in Jharkhand are non-celebration of its strengths. The centrality in marketing strategy vis-à-vis Jharkhand tourism should be it s forests, its villages, its tribal’s, its history and its culture. The test of its mettle will be the relative sense of curiosity it can develop with regard to its originality in the larger market arena. Jharkhand needs to position tourism as central priority. A certain feasible percentage of its GDP should be invested in the tourism industry. In order to improve and expand its product development, Jharkhand needs to create awareness amongst the locals with regard to tackling the inter-cultural contradictions that may prop up with the expanding market. The skilled human resource that Jharkhand possesses should not only be positioned at both ends—producers of wealth as well as benefiters of the produce—but should be made aware of the same. The entire population should see tourism as a business they are a part of, irrespective of the business that they traditionally do or not do. That level of sensitivity towards ones land, and culture will be beneficial in variegated ways. The love towards culture and heritage will lead to an evolution of cultural and heritage tourism.
A world class infrastructure can be evolved—to match the global demand—alongside keeping the local specificity intact. Let the big corporations set up their hotels and hospitality centres, but a demand be met that infrastructure be a representative of the place it is being set in. Rather than allowing the corporations to go with its own standards, it should be compelled to bend its rules and be creative in accordance with the local demands. And an effective marketing with its specificity and its people at the core of the development will lead to place Jharkhand at the centre of tourism industry without losing its essence. Such holistic approach in the kind of divisive and sectorial market that exists today will pave our path for a bright tomorrow.
S””’q”’!