Paradise lost

The Kerala government is all set to 'develop' Bekal, near Kasargod, into Asia's largest tourist resort. But the locals are far from enthusiastic about it. Resentment against the Rs 1,000- crore mega project resulted in the filing of a writ petition in Kochi High Court by the Bekal Samrakshana Samiti, a coalition of 16 local groups opposing the complex. The people fear that the tourist complex will destroy their culture and lifestyle by reducing Bekal to another Goa.