The death of tourists in Sikkim was avoidable, but are we ready to change?

Imagine being an eight-year-old. For once, you are not going to school, or after-school classes, and instead, you are with the family on a tour. You are witnessing mountains and snow you had until now heard of only in stories. The sun is shining, you cannot wait to take pictures and tell stories to your friends once you return. 

And moments later, you are not breathing. 

Any state that wants to capitalise on tourism wants the tourists to be safe, sound and more than eager to return when they can. This is especially true for states like Sikkim, where tourism is a huge source of income for several people across all communities. The state may have less than 7 lakh people, but over 30,000 tourists have already visited the picturesque North Sikkim in March 2022. From Instagrammers using #WANDERLUST as a tag to middle-class families from Bengal looking for a quick and relatively affordable holiday, Sikkim welcomes all. And despite this week’s tragedy, it will continue to do so. But we would be making a mistake if we do not focus on the crucial mistakes that led to such a horrific and avoidable tragedy. 

No matter where you live in India, you would be surprised to see snowfall in April. Yes, even in the Himalayan state of Sikkim. Call it unpredictable weather or climate change (or both), this is not the season for snowfall. Unseasonal snowfall has its challenges, notably, that it is not as stable as “regular” season snow. The tourists who were screaming and shouting out of happiness did not know this. Also, it is not their fault either. 

I would, instead, point my finger at the cab drivers and “tourism” operators who thought dozens of people climbing over fresh snow in unseasonable weather ignoring all warnings was a good idea. The operators should have known that the region where the tragedy took place was not a ‘snow’ hotspot: those regions are much higher, and that is where it is relatively safe to have fun and frolic in the snow. 

I would also like to point out that while tourists have all the right to jump, run and play in the snow, the tour operators should have cautioned them to not do so. Instead, too happy to make money and too scared to anger their guests, they watched, taking pictures. 

If the government wants to ensure that such accidents do not repeat themselves, it must immediately review all tourist licences and permits, especially those that promise adventure. Blame it on social media, but tourists want some kind of thrill more than ever and are ready to go to crazy lengths even if that means death. But that does not mean that stakeholders let go of safety regulations. It is one thing for a person to lose their life while taking a selfie, but what happened this week puts the entire adventure tourism under the scanner. This does not help anyone. We have reports of tourists dying in river rafting, paragliding, and now in avalanches. None of these indicates that our tour operators know what they are doing, and if they are getting away with this lackadaisical attitude, then that is a cause for concern. 

Every day, hundreds, if not thousands of vehicles make a beeline for higher altitudes, starting in Gangtok. Over the next few months, all these vehicles, almost all diesel vehicles, spew fumes that poison the air in a state that loves to talk about its organic achievements. I know, connecting this week’s tragedy to polluting vehicles may be a stretch, but I want to stress the effects that tourism is causing on the state’s infrastructure. Parts of Gangtok, unable to handle unplanned expansions, are sinking. 

At what point do we start considering that only sustainable tourism can be our future? Can we promote an organic state while running polluted vehicles? Can we promise “adventure” when cab drivers cannot even distinguish between fresh snow and safe snow? Can we talk about having the “time of your life” when we are not even following weather patterns and meteorological warnings? 

I take no pride in writing this column. But I need everyone to remember that mountains are not your friends, and snow, especially when fresh, can be a death trap. Add the fact that April is not the time for snow, all these should have meant extreme caution and avoiding such routes. Instead, we have lost seven souls, including an eight-year-old. They should have been having the time of their lives. Instead, their lives came to an end for no fault of their own. 

Also Read | Sikkim safe, restricting tourists not on agenda: Gangtok DC