Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar reminisced about his 50th birthday celebration in Sindhudurg, Maharashtra, and backed the cause of promoting Indian beaches. Sachin shared a video and a photo from his birthday celebration in the coastal town, hailing it for its ‘beautiful locations’ and ‘wonderful hospitality’. The post comes at a time when local beaches in India are being heavily promoted rather than foreign beach locations.
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“250 days since we rang in my 50th birthday in Sindhudurg! The coastal town offered everything we wanted, and more. Gorgeous locations combined with wonderful hospitality left us with a treasure trove of memories. India is blessed with beautiful coastlines and pristine islands. With our “Atithi Devo Bhava” philosophy, we have so much to explore, so many memories waiting to be created. #ExploreIndianIslands,” Sachin posted on X (formerly Twitter).
The comments by Tendulkar came in the wake of a spat between the Maldives and India over a tweet posted by a minister in the island nation a few days after the Prime Minister visited the archipelago nation. Since then, many Indians have taken to social media to announce that they are cancelling their holiday plans to the Maldives.
The spat began over a tweet by a Maldives minister who accused India of targeting the country and claimed that India faces ‘difficulties’ in competing with Maldives when it comes to beach tourism.
People are sharing purported screenshots of their cancelled flights and hotel bookings on social media. The hashtag ‘#boycottMaldives’ is also trending on Twitter in India.
Former Indian cricketers join bandwagon
Several former Indian cricketers such as Aakash Chopra, Venkatesh Prasad, Irfan Pathan and Suresh Raina took to X to air their opinions on the Maldives row.
“‘India Out’ was a part of the manifesto. Maldives voted for it. Now, it’s up to us, Indians, to choose wisely. I know that my family will. Jai Hind,” Akash Chopra wrote.
“A deputy minister using such language for our country. Maldives is a largely poor country largely dependent on upmarket tourism with over 15% tourists from India. India has very many unexplored beautiful coastal towns, and this is a great opportunity to develop many of them into tourist destinations,” Venkatesh Prasad said.
“Having traveled the world since I was 15, every new country I visit reinforces my belief in the exceptional service offered by Indian hotels and tourism. While respecting each country’s culture, it’s disheartening to hear negative remarks about my homeland’s extraordinary hospitality,” Irfan Pathan wrote.
“I saw remarks from prominent public figures in the Maldives, expressing hateful and racist comments directed towards Indians. It’s disheartening to witness such negativity, especially considering that India contributes significantly to their economy, crisis management and so many other aspects. Having visited the Maldives multiple times and always expressing admiration for the destination’s beauty, I believe it’s crucial to prioritize our self-respect. In light of recent events, let’s unite and choose to #ExploreIndianIslands, supporting our own vibrant tourism industry. It’s time to celebrate and appreciate the rich experiences that our own country has to offer,” Suresh Raina said.
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