HARD TALK: Amitabh Kant

Killing Kashmir softly

Amitabh Kant, joint secretary in India’s ministry of tourism who has been closely associated with the “Incredible India!” campaign, makes, what on the face of it seems, a fair point.

He says that despite the continuing terrorist threat to London — and last week’s example of Dhiren Barot, good Hindu boy turned Muslim terrorist, is proof of such a threat held out by Scotland Yard — the Indian government has not urged its nationals to boycott London.

In marked contrast, the British are continuing to advise their nationals not to travel to Kashmir despite an apparent improvement in the situation in the state.

Jammu and Kashmir’s tourism minister, Mohammad Dilwar Mir, who has also been in London to attend the World Travel Market insists that “entire Kashmir is safe” for western tourists.

The British Foreign Office’s travel advisory on Kashmir is diametrically opposed to the Indian line: “We advise against all travel to or through rural parts of Jammu and Kashmir (except Ladakh). We advise against all but essential travel to Srinagar. There continues to be a high level of conflict and terrorist violence in Kashmir, including car bombs, grenade attacks, bombs on roads and shootings.”

In a clear rebuke to the Indian government, it warns: “You should beware of travel agents who will try to convince you that it is safe to travel to Jammu or Kashmir. Despite increased official promotion of Kashmir as a tourist centre and improved relations between India and Pakistan, tensions remain high in Kashmir.”

But Kashmir is critical to India’s attempt to become an all-year round travel destination.

Kant says: “We sent out a team of 10 tour operators from Britain who went there, had a great time, came back extremely happy. Prior to their departure, the British Foreign Office told them there was an advisory. They defied the advisory and went there. The ground reality is very different from the perception of the British Foreign Office.”

He argues: “Britain has faced terrorism at its doorsteps in London and if the world was to issue an advisory against Britain, you are aiding and abetting terrorism — and that’s what the British Foreign Office is doing right now. Tourism is the best antidote to terrorism.”

A senior official in the Kashmiri delegation offers me an even more sinister theory: “There is an international conspiracy going on — they (?) don’t want a strong India. That’s why they created a problem first in Punjab, and then in Kashmir. Do you think the economy of Pakistan would allow them to go for this long proxy war? It’s not possible.”

GETTING THE ACT TOGETHER: Priti Mahajan

Royal touch

Her Royal Highness Yashodhara Raje Scindia, minister for tourism, sports and youth affairs in the Madhya Pradesh government, who does not like to be addressed as “Mrs” or “Lady Minister” — and I have some sympathy for her — ought to come to London in spring next year where I have a little job lined up for her.

The Taj group is planning to hold a big tamasha then to promote its “grand palace” hotels, especially the Lake Palace in Udaipur, Rambagh in Jaipur and Umaid Bhavan in Jodhpur.

Priti Mahajan, who is director of marketing services of Taj Hotels, Resorts and Palaces and part of the large team of glamorous Taj executives unleashed on the WTM in London, tells me that the group will screen a 28-minute documentary on its palace hotels.

It has Naseeruddin Shah as narrator and includes interviews with Gaj Singh, Arvind Singh Mewar and Rajmata Gayatri Devi.

Priti, who already has her hands full promoting the Taj’s new ventures in wildlife conservation lodges in Madhya Pradesh — Mahua Kothi and Baghvan in Bandhavgarh and Pench national parks respectively — is involved in organising the big royal event in London.

Hers is a tricky balancing act: while the age of the princes is over, erstwhile royal India is good for tourism.

A real life haughty royal from Gwalior would be good for business, especially as Usha Kiran Palace, a Scindia property which the Taj also manages, is an exceptionally charming hotel.

Britain is a country which still kow tows to royalty. And HRH Yashodhara Raje Scindia should take it as a compliment when the Sun newspaper offers her £50,000 to reveal the charms of royal India.

Vara vara good

It is reassuring to know I now have a friend high up in the Tory party following Shailesh Vara’s elevation to shadow deputy leader of the House of Commons.

Shailesh, a Uganda-born Gujarati who has the dubious distinction of being the only non-white Conservative MP, is member for the partly rural constituency of North-West Cambridgeshire (once part of John Major’s fiefdom).

Shailesh’s new responsibility will include mastering everything from House of Lords reform to party funding and administration of the Commons.

It’s encouraging that Shailesh has got the job without playing the race card (“I am not getting anywhere because I am Indian/ Black/ethnic minority/gay/ lesbian/etc etc).

Shailesh will be deputy to Teresa May, the shadow leader who is the Tory counterpart to the leader of the Commons, Jack Straw.

When Shailesh found himself sitting on the front bench, Straw was the first to congratulate him. How English, how civilised.

“He’s a nice man,” concurs Shailesh, who was, as always, in a frantic rush when I talked to him. “David Cameron is coming to visit one of the hospitals in my constituency which is facing closure.”

The Tory leader summoned Shailesh last week and offered him shadow deputy leader. “I was very surprised to be offered this so early in my political career. He said it was the first front bench job that he had done.”

Now is the time for the Indian High Commission to put Shailesh’s name on the list of dignitaries deemed worthy of receiving a bottle of Indian whisky at Christmas.

AGAINST RACISM: BACK WITH A BANG: Daniel Craig

Bond is back

All over London there are huge posters for Casino Royale, signalling the imminent release of the 21st Bond movie, Casino Royale.

The early hype suggests that Daniel Craig has acquitted himself well as the latest actor to play 007. The problem, however, is that after Dr No in 1962 and From Russia With Love in 1963, Sean Connery was Bond.

A nice touch was to show Goya’s painting of the Duke of Wellington, stolen in 1960, in Dr No’s lair. The real painting was returned by the thief in 1965.

This idea was “borrowed” by the makers of Don, which shows Shah Rukh in possession of Edvard Munch’s iconic The Scream.

This was stolen on November 22, 2004, but recovered by Norwegian police on August 31, 2006 — seven weeks before the release of Don on October 20.

So what is the painting we saw in Don?

There is only one explanation. Our Don, being desi, didn’t realise he had acquired a fake, something that would never happen with a Bond villain.

Tittle tattle

Greater love hath no cricketer for his fellow team mate than “recovered” England spinner, Ashley Giles, a youthful 33, who is preparing to stab Monty Panesar, 24, in the back with a stump to claw back his place in the Ashes side against Australia.