India's first lighthouse festival opens in Goa
spotlight on 75 historical sites to be developed as major tourist destinations
Panjim (Goa) (PTI): Union minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Saturday inaugurated the maiden edition of Indian Lighthouse Festival at the historic Fort Aguada here and said that the festival aims to transform historic lighthouses into tourist hotspots with public private partnership (PPP).
Sonowal further said India should aim to take a leadership role in global maritime trade.
"We are modernising 75 lighthouses..., the festival is aimed at rejuvenating the rich maritime history of India's 75 iconic lighthouses and unravel the illustrious stories to the world," the Ports, Shipping and Waterways minister said.
The inaugural session was also attended by Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, Minister of State for Ports, Shipping & Waterways and Tourism Shripad Naik and Goa tourism minister Rohan Khaunte, among others.
The minister said the government's vision is to promote lighthouses as tourism destinations, to breathe new life into these historic structures, and to create opportunities for local communities and businesses.
According to an official statement, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways (MoPSW) is aiming to leverage the Indian Lighthouse Festival to shore up the base for the Public Private Partnership route to develop the historic into world-class tourist destinations.
Sonowal earlier launched a campaign 'Lighthouse Heritage Tourism' to transform 75 historic lighthouses into tourism spots.
Also, speaking at the event, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said lighthouses are beacons of hope and symbols of strength. "Our coastal state Goa has played a vital role in India's maritime history," he said.
According to the statement, historic lighthouses are being renovated with adequate facilities. India has as many as 203 lighthouses dotting its vast coastline of 7,517 km.
The three-day festival beginning September 23 will be celebrated across all the lighthouses in the country as part of an effort to transform these historic spots as tourist destination.
The key highlights of India's First Lighthouse Festival are cultural exhibitions, sessions highlighting maritime history and culture, classical performances, light and sound shows, melodious evenings with celebrity singers, flavours of the coast and community engagements.
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CA will back Australian players who don't want to return to India for IPL: Report
Melbourne (PTI): Australian players who have returned home after the suspension of the IPL and don't want to return to India for the remainder of the high-profile tournament will get support from Cricket Australia, according to a media report here.
All the Australian players in various IPL teams have already reached home. Only some former players like Ricky Ponting and Brad Haddin, who are among the coaching staff, are still in India. Other coaches, including Justin Langer and Mike Hussey, have also landed back due to border tensions between India and Pakistan.
But the players may be asked to return as the IPL is set to resume within this week after the announcement of ceasefire on Saturday.
"Shaken Australian players will be defended by Cricket Australia should they refuse to return to the Indian Premier League on safety grounds," the 'Sydney Morning Herald' declared.
"Fear and anxiety remained prevalent emotions among Australian players ... as all made their way home from the IPL, leaving the likes of Ricky Ponting and Brad Haddin among coaching staff still in India."
Not just safety issues, the players are also concerned about the prospect of "being pressured to return to the tournament and then frozen out of future editions of the IPL should they choose not to".
"In that light, CA will defend the rights of players to make their own calls about returning to the IPL on a case by case basis, taking the view that their decisions should not be held against them for the future," the report said.
There is also the issue of a tight cricket calendar and if the IPL continues beyond the originally planned May 24. All the Australian players would require fresh "no objection" certificates from CA in order to return, the report said.
Test players such as Travis Head, Mitchell Starc, captain Pat Cummins and fellow fast bowler Josh Hazlewood are to spend a few days at home before flying to the UK ahead of the World Test Championship final at Lord's against South Africa.
That match will be immediately followed by a three-Test tour of the West Indies.
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