lear blue skies, the expansive verdure, the deep blue tranquil ocean. Inviting, isn�t it? Exactly what the Department of Information, Publicity and Tourism, Union Territory (UT) of Lakshadweep would like you to believe. To this effect, it has released a print ad welcoming people to the island. The ad comes at a time when South East Asia is dealing with the aftermath of the tsunami that hit the region on December 26, last year.


"Lakshadweep is safe. And welcomes you", reads the headline. The body copy goes on to say, "while we share the grief of millions, we are also grateful to the forces of nature for sparing us". "People, especially in north India, have a tendency to club Andaman and Nicobar and Lakshadweep together," says AM Hussain, Tourism Information Officer, UT of Lakshadweep. "Through the ad we wanted to dispel the notion that Lakshadweep has been affected by the tsunami." While the tsunami loss in the Andamans is estimated at a staggering Rs 2,500 crore, "Lakshadweep is safe and there has not been even a penny of damage", Hussain asssures.
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