In Rajasthan, if you are a tourist, watch out for “lapkas”, unscrupulous shopkeepers and greedy autorickshaw drivers. For many years now, “lapkas”, or self-styled tourist guides, have been a blot on Rajasthan. They are touts who are paid commission by shopkeepers and hotel owners for bringing customers, but they actually end up driving away visitors.
Sometimes, they can be much worse than just a nuisance. When a 20-year-old Japanese woman was raped by a “lapka” on the outskirts of Jaipur, it sent shockwaves across Rajasthan’s tourism industry. She was taken around the city and eventually assaulted on a lonely spot by an English-speaking self-styled guide, Ajit Singh, alias Jitaram Choudhury, who has since surrendered to the police.
But while “lapkas” find ways to exploit tourists, the licensed guides are unable to find work through the season. There are 2,500 licensed guides in Jaipur, 550 of them holding “red cards” issued by the Union government. At any given time, even in the peak season, at least 50 per cent of them are without work.
Devender Singh Rathore, president, Tourist Guides’ Association, says the Centre’s guidelines suggest that the police arrest any unauthorised person acting as a guide to a foreign tourist, and in Rajasthan, the Tourist Assistance Force (TAF) is empowered to check the guide’s licence and arrest those found without one.
“We have written several letters to the government to check the menace of ‘lapkas’, but so far nothing has been done. The TAF should be more proactive which will also instil confidence among tourists,” Mr. Rathore said.
Vikram Singh, Commissioner, Tourism, told The Hindu that installation of CCTV cameras at important tourist sites was now being considered as part of the plan to enhance security measures. Tourists should follow the comprehensive guidelines on safety and security formulated by the Union Tourism Ministry, he said.
The elaborate code of conduct is meant for tourists as well as hoteliers, shopkeepers and tour operators. The code, posted on the Tourism Department website and freely available at the counters of hotels and tourist reception centres, prescribes a dress code, which recommends “not wearing clothes that are too revealing or too scanty.” The tour operators are asked to download a copy and pass it on to the visiting groups.
While rape and other forms of violence are not common, exploitation by “lapkas” is rampant in all tourist spots. Bhawani Giddu, CEO of Footprint Global Communications, who had visited Jaipur with her colleagues, had an unpleasant tale to narrate. “A group of 10 of us, all women, visited Jaipur in September 2014 from Delhi on an office tour. While we enjoyed the colours and tastes of the Pink City on the whole, we were left with a very unpleasant experience at Amber Fort,” she said.
“The mini bus we had hired did not take us all the way up saying the only access up the Fort would be through the jeeps available in the area. The jeep drivers surrounded us quoting very high rates for a trip to the Fort and back. Seeing a group of women tourists, not only were the jeep drivers rude and obnoxious, they were also openly fleecing us. And there was a cop right outside the jeep parking area. When we approached him, he just shrugged saying, ‘I cannot help. You have to pay whatever they ask for.’ It is a cartel they run here.”
The precautions to be taken are to always book into approved and classified hotels or those run by the Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation, and make enquiries at the tourist information bureaus at most railway stations, bus stands and airports. While asking tourists to take autorickshaws and taxis from pre-paid kiosks, wherever available, and always shop from reputable or recognised shops, the code warns against hiring unknown people as guides.
“Avoid shops that have names very similar to those of government-run emporia or concerns such as the RTDC [Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation], or Rajasthali, and avoid help of guide or driver while shopping,” are some important instructions that tourists are expected to follow. Not accepting free food and drinks and not roaming around in late hours may sound like good advice, but many tourists get the uneasy feeling that they alone are responsible for their safety and that the law enforcers will step in only after a crime.
