REGIONAL TOURISM - YOUR PASSPORT TO PEACE & HARMONY

We have so much in common between us as South Asian neighbours.

We must not let politics come in the way to building bridges between our people. Business-wise, it is the lowest-hanging fruit for all concerned, it is time to get started.

So much is in the air on South Asia. Neighbours are precious family. We are talking about Bangladesh with their PM on a state visit; the South Asian heads of state attending the swearing-in ceremony of the current Lok Sabha; China in a recent book that has come out on understanding their people, the real people in China, a neighbour and friend of long standing.

In our previous issue, we carried a story on how we need to shore up as good neighbours, among our South Asian fraternity. We ran a podcast and curated a discussion between professionals on the subject of bridging our nations together.

All said and done, politics apart, there is no substitute to people to people connect. It is public opinion that will shape policies. It is public perception that is going to matter eventually in our subcontinent, in the South Asian context, at least where we are democracies that go for elections.

Elections come out with results, we have seen, not just in India but elsewhere, too, as in Pakistan and in the Maldives, that are often surprising; but so be it. The question here is that we are essentially the same people, with a real shared heritage. We eat and drink, dress and celebrate like each other. People-to-people contact or connect is critical; it is best manifested and sustained through ease in travel and tourism. Open the gates for people to travel, discover each other's lands, find friends for life, and we can ensure there are no wars!

Of course, this is easier said than done; it does call for equal desire among the political leaders among all the involved countries; one can be reasonably certain that given a free play for people to meet each other, things can and will move towards and prosperity.