Promote tourism for employment and wealth generation: Kalam

Uparwara, Chhattisgarh, Nov 7 (UNI) President A P J Abdul Kalam today stressed on the need for sustained efforts to develop the tourism industry into a profitable business proposition creating employment opportunities and generating national-wealth.

Inaugurating the 'Purkhauti Muktangan'-- an open museum being developed in this village, about 18 km from the state capital, Dr Kalam emphasised on the need for joint collaboration between the museum and the tribal studies department of all the Chhattisgarh Universities, industries as well as with the international marketing agencies.

He said the museum must carry out research in specific areas and promote new products based on cultural heritage and traditional value systems.

''This effort in turn will promote cost-effective production of these items,'' he added.

''Museums should provide life to the old culture. But it should also transform itself from the role of custodianship to entrepreneurship,'' he said, adding that this in turn would make the museum self-sustained as well as help to propagate our cultural values to the world.

Stating that he was happy to see an open museum being developed to present the close link between cultural and development strategies and functions, life and the arts of the communities, Dr Kalam expressed confidence that it would enable demonstration of the contribution of communities in proper perspective of bio-cultural, bio-friendly history and natural wealth of the region.

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