Riders discover hidden Arunachal

Taba Ajum

ITANAGAR, Nov 20: Being part of the North East Riders Meet (NERM)-2010 was one lifetime experience. The week-long bike journey offered riders and media-persons like me the chance to visit amazing destinations like Yazali, Ziro, Raga, Daporijo, Tirbin, Bam, Aalo, Kaying, Tato and Mechuka in one go. Arunachal Bullet Club (ABC), the organizer for NERM deserves pat on their back for coming up with such noble gesture to promote tourism potential of state.

Around 200 bikers from various parts of the country and neighbouring Bhutan participated in the meet. Boys as young as 18 and old man as old as 62 years took part in the meet. But the centre of attraction of this meet was lone lady rider Sheetal Ayyar, who had come all the way from Hyderabad. The most amazing part was that she herself rode her Royal Enfield bullet bike throughout this trip without any support from her pillion rider who was a male companion. Even the most treacherous road did not scare her ever and she truly enjoyed her stay in Arunachal. “Despite few minor hiccups I had really enjoyed this trip. Arunachal Pradesh is perhaps one of the most beautiful states of India and local tribal people are so warmth. When I go back to Hyderabad, I will become brand ambassador of Arunachal there,” told Sheetal.

The success of this event shows that Arunachalee citizen are now ready to welcome visitors with open arms. Being part of this meet, I got rare opportunity to closely observe the warm hospitality of Arunachalee citizen and at the same time also getting chance to visit some of the most beautiful places of Arunachal. Places like Daporijo, Aalo and Menchuka if promoted properly can become major tourist attraction in years to come. Especially Aalo to Menchuka route passing through the thorny road with breathtaking sights will surely tempt tourist from mainland India and abroad.

Barring few minor incidents, NERM 2010 smoothly sailed through and this should act as antidote for potentially strong but ailing tourism sector of Arunachal. Riders were accorded warm welcome wherever they stopped and I am sure all the participants must have carried wonderful memories along with them. But big question is how to translate such success into bigger success. For this, department of tourism government of Arunachal Pradesh, needs to take initiative. Despite amble potential tourism sector has not seen greener days in this state.

With Tawang virtually getting overexposed, in days to come unexplored places need to be encouraged as tourism destination. With not much of scope in industrial sector, tourism will be the biggest sector for job opportunities to unemployed Arunachalee youths in coming years when government job dries up.

Source: The Arunachal Times