Mahabaleshwar business goes down the valley

MAHABALESHWAR: While politicians and right wing organisations such as the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) whipped up the Afzal Khan tomb controversy for their own political gains, it is the people of Mahabaleshwar who have been worst hit and are bearing the brunt of the repercussions.
Located 17 km from Pratapgad, Mahabaleshwar, with a population of 16,000, has an estimated 40 per cent Muslims.Both the Hindus and the Muslims here are upset with the adverse impact of the Chhatrapati Shivaji-Afzal Khan controversy on their livelihood.
"It has hit us in a place where it hurts the most — our stomachs and purse strings," said horse owner Zubair Khan for whom the monsoons see peak tourist traffic. "When two mighty elephants fight, it is the humble grass which is trampled under their feet," he said, quoting a local saying.
"We hotel owners can manage to make ends meet by withdrawing money from the bank. But what about the horse owners, taxi drivers, hotel canvassers and other small businessmen who eke out a hand-to-mouth existence?" said Rajendra Naidu, president of the Mahabaleshwar hotel owners association.
Agreed taxi driver Hyder Warunkar, "The deserted town seems to be under a curfew.We are the worst hit. The locals were never involved in the agitation over the tomb and it is the outsiders who are making an issue out of it".
Said Kisan Shinde, deputy president of Mahabaleshwar council, who also runs the Sai Regency hotel, "Some tourists left half-way en route to the town after they heard about the agitation. The rest chose not to come here or were turned away by the stringent checks carried out by the police." The city on Tuesday resembled a police camp with policemen swarming all around. The roads leading to Pratapgad were sealed off for private vehicles and the 22 villages in the vicinity of the fort were the worst hit.
Two days after the VHP''s failed attempt to march up to and storm the tomb of Afzal Khan at Pratapgad, the tourism industry continued to remain hit at Mahabaleshwar.
A visit to the hill station showed that the tourist traffic had dipped greatly due to the tense environment, following the VHP''s threat issued a fortnight ago. The main bazaar and stalls in the town remained closed or deserted and the tourist spots like the Venna lake were also deserted.
Needless to say, the locals in the town, many of whom are dependent on tourism and related businesses, are not amused and are up in arms against the "outsiders" meddling in the town''s affairs.
Naidu said the room occupancy in local hotels had dropped by 90 per cent. "The hill station sees an upsurge of tourist traffic after August.
People come here to experience the rains in the hills," he pointed out. The weekend crowd had also dropped substantially.
On Tuesday, the municipal council, in a special meeting attended by councillors and citizens'' representatives, passed a resolution, asking district collector Subrao Patil to take steps to assure that the town was safe for tourists.
"The locals were never involved in the issue and the government needs to take steps to assure people that things are normal. Things must be okay by Navratri when the tourist season is at its peak. The VHP''s threat to renew the agitation from November 13 is already sending shivers down our spine," said K.R. Sheikh, hotel owner and former municipal president.