A jewellery manufacturer from Rohtak, Hemant Dhall, has alleged harassment and misconduct by members of a local taxi union during a recent visit to the Tungnath in Uttarakhand.
Recalling the incident, Dhall said he was on a religious pilgrimage in Uttarakhand last month when he met fellow travellers from Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi who were staying at the same guest house in Gopeshwar. The group included a married couple, and the travellers became acquainted during their stay.
“They were planning to visit Tungnath-Chopta, while I was travelling to Ukhimath on May 20. Since Tungnath lies on the route between Gopeshwar and Ukhimath, they requested a lift as we were headed in the same direction. We set out together in my car that morning. However, near the Mandal area, a person with a local taxi union stopped our vehicle by placing a scooter in front of it and objected to us travelling together,” said Dhall.
He claimed the person asserted that private vehicle owners were not permitted to offer lifts in the area, resulting in a tense and uncomfortable situation for the passengers.
He further alleged that they approached a nearby police post and explained that they were acquainted travellers journeying together and were not operating any commercial transport service. The couple travelling with him also explained that they had voluntarily sought a lift from him and the matter involved no commercial arrangement whatsoever but the police failed to adequately address their concerns, Dhall claimed.
“Subsequently, some taxi union members lodged a counter-complaint with the local police, alleging that my vehicle was carrying commercial passengers. Two female tourists in our group felt unsafe, insulted and humiliated by the entire episode. The incident raises serious concerns about the treatment of tourists,” he said.
Dhall has urged the Uttarakhand Government to strengthen measures to ensure the safety, dignity and convenience of tourists visiting the state from other parts of the country.
“I have been undertaking religious journeys to Uttarakhand for more than two decades, but this is the first time I have faced such harassment from members of a local taxi union. I have also shared a video on my social media accounts detailing the entire episode,” he added.
While expressing his admiration for Uttarakhand’s natural beauty, culture and hospitality, Dhall said the incident had left him deeply disappointed and could adversely affect the confidence of tourists planning to visit the state.
