Holding big events in India is a challenge. There are simply neither any places nor the culture to hold them with excellence the way they do it say in Singapore or Dubai.
Of course many people would get hurt when they are told this or hear this, but what the truth is needs to be realised and corrective action taken. Holding Defexpo in Delhi was never right as the venue, built six decades ago, had become congested, the steps to various halls were damaged and people could slip, and the access roads to the venue would always be a nightmare both for the participants and the regular commuters in the capital.
I am sorry I have to touch a dirty subject, that one bitter truth of the Toilets.
When Changi airport was built in 1981, Singapore visionary leader Lee Kuan Yew was invited to inaugurate it. The first place he went to check was the toilets, and he told its administration’s officers that “if attention has been paid to the toilets, then he is sure that everything else has also been looked after well.â€
He began building Singapore from the scratch and today, it is one of the best cities in the world. Both Singapore and Dubai have built their economies on tourism and conferences and events.
One of the brand new cities in India is Gurgaon, on the outskirts of New Delhi. The roads are ill-designed, small, damaged from day one, and apparently would contribute to many accidents. It is a city one should see on how not to design and build new places. The only good thing about Gurgaon is that it is south of South Delhi, and companies, which contribute to growth of business and economy, have to move there.
Hyderabad, where India Aviation on civil aviation was held recently, was another disaster. The photographs of visitors and participants on identity cards were fuzzy and any one could get in or out with another person’s identity card. I would be surprised if this escaped the attention of SPG, which had to ensure the security of the venue as the inauguration of the event was to be done by the Hon’ble President.
The dirty truth about the toilets was that they were dirtier than before; paper rolls were missing and there were buckets without mugs. Many participants would go back to their hotels to….
The decision to move Defexpo to Goa provides a very good opportunity, but only if the infrastructure is developed there once and for all to hold Defexpo and many other mega events throughout the year.
I may mention that the International Fleet Review (IFR) held by the Indian Navy in Vishakhapatnam recently was exceptionally well managed, and the participants from 50 countries went back happily.
Goa could be India’s Singapore or Dubai. Perhaps the Defence Minister can move heavens to build it.
Gulshan Rai Luthra
