NEW DELHI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday held a virtual meet with senior party leaders on relief and rehabilitation efforts in Wayanad after the recent landslides which claimed more than 300 lives. Gandhi asserted that it is imperative to make a concerted effort to revitalise tourism in the district and dispelling the notion that it is a ‘dangerous’ place.Gandhi shared a clip of the meeting in a post on X and said that Wayanad is steadily recovering from the devastation caused by the tragic landslides.”While there is still much to be done, it is heartening to witness people from all communities and organisations coming together in relief efforts,” he said.”There is one crucial aspect I wish to highlight that will greatly aid the people of Wayanad – tourism. Once the rains cease, it is imperative that we make a concerted effort to revitalise tourism in the area and encourage people to visit,” he added.It is important to note that the landslide was localised to a specific area in Wayanad, not the entire region, he said.Wayanad remains a stunning destination and will soon be ready to welcome tourists from across India and the world with all its natural charm, Gandhi said.”As we have done in the past, let us come together once again to support our brothers and sisters in beautiful Wayanad,” he said.During the meeting, Gandhi said that for promoting tourism it is important to dispel the notion that it is not a safe place as it can damage the brand of Wayanad if people think that it is a “dangerous place”.”There are four-five things we need to put pressure on – inter-departmental coordination on relief and rehabilitation, inadequate compensation, rent issue that I have raised, many people have lost livelihood, and finally the impact on tourism,” he said.The devastating landslides that struck the hilly regions near Meppadi in Kerala’s Wayanad district have claimed over 300 lives, while leaving many others injured.
