Regular attacks on tourists put Munnar to shame: What triggered assaults

Incidents of attacks on tourists by local residents have been on the rise in Munnar, casting a shadow over its famed tourism sector. The most recent one was in the Munnar Top station, where a group of 68 people were attacked by local taxi drivers and vendors. Most such incidents go unnoticed because victims refuse to lodge complaints due to humiliation or delays in the legal process. Lots of violent incidents have been reported in the area in the last two years. However, the authorities have not been able to find a solution to this problem and make the hill station safer for tourists. Meanwhile, the merchants fear that tourists will completely abandon Munnar after being stuck in traffic for hours and facing such assaults. 

Danger spots
Tourists were assaulted at all the major tourism destinations, including Randam Mile, Photo Point, Mattupetti, Top Station, Eco Point and Pallivasal, in the last year. Tourists had either faced physical assaults or rude behaviour from the roadside vendors and taxi drivers here. 

Reasons for attacks
Things get flared up quickly, mostly due to incidents like vehicles parking on the roadside, minor car scratches, tourists hiring UBER taxis or drivers refusing to let other vehicles overtake. The incident in which a foreigner was forced to get out of an Uber taxi sparked online protests. Such incidents keep happening as the authorities resort to temporary fixes rather than addressing the core issue.

Here are the recent issues that triggered attacks.  
• Kollam natives were attacked, and their vehicle was damaged, allegedly for urinating on the roadside in Top Station. 
• Nine youth from Attukad in Trichy, Tamil Nadu, were attacked using stones at Pallivasal, alleging that their vehicle had scratched another vehicle. 
• A group of miscreants led by an auto driver attacked a family from Kurichy and damaged their vehicle, allegedly for causing a minor accident. 
• Attackers waylaid a bus and manhandled the passengers for playing loud music inside the bus. 
• The vehicle of a family from Thrikkakkara was waylaid at Old Munnar and attacked because they refused to book a hotel room. 

• Five youngsters from Mailil in Karunagappally were assaulted, alleging that they got into a jeep owned by a local resident. 
• Kollam natives were attacked at Mattupetti Eco Point following a heated exchange of words. 
• A Mumbai native who came in an UBER taxi was threatened by the taxi drivers in Munnar Town. 
• Varkala natives were attacked, and their bus was damaged. 

No safety
Tourists have been urging the authorities to deploy police personnel at the Top Station, a prominent tourist destination in Munnar that falls under Tamil Nadu's jurisdiction. The Top Station, located around 45 kilometres from Munnar, falls under the jurisdiction of the Kurangini police station near Bodinayakanur in Tamil Nadu. Meanwhile, the police station is more than 130 kilometres from the Top Station. The Tamil Nadu government has been apathetic to the persistent demand to appoint police personnel at the Top Station, which is visited by more than 10,000 tourists daily.

Top Station is touted as one of the most visited spots in Munnar. Street vendors, taxi drivers and guides often pick fights with the tourists, even over silly matters. Tamil Nadu refuses to provide safety or legal aid for the tourists, even though incidents of violent attacks have become rampant here. In a recent incident that happened on Tuesday, a group of 68 tourists from Varkala were assaulted by roadside vendors and taxi drivers, alleging that their bus was halted in front of a roadside shop. The group, which included women and children, was rescued by two policemen who came from the Vattavada aid post after learning about the incident.