With the Board exams coming closer, various authorities have been inundated with numerous complaints against loud music parties in the north Goa coastal belt.
In fact, this is an annual phenomenon, where parents of students awaiting their final exams have been complaining against the loud music every year, where students are left to the mercy of the ‘noise makers,’ who display scant regard or fear of law enforcing agencies.
Activists, as well as locals, are fed up of the system’s inaction, especially in Anjuna, Vagator, Chapora, Assagao, Morjim and Ashwem in North Goa. They claim the complaint to any authority goes unheard, as they claim there is a connivance of local police with the party organisers.
“Without the support of the local police party, one cannot play anywhere in the entire North Goa coastal belt. It is only and only local police that are responsible for the music nuisance and sadly, they are playing with the future of young generation,” said an Anjuna resident, Ankit Salgaonkar.
He affirmed that he was the witness to many such incidents where police have failed to take action in the past against loud music parties, where not only music is objectionable but they also openly sell narcotics that can ruin the future of youth in the village.
Now the tourist season in Goa is in a descending mode and music party organizers are not leaving a single opportunity to take advantage of every weekend to play music parties, taking the police for a ride.
The advertisements are rampantly seen on the social media and some parties take place at the well-known joints in Anjuna, Vagator, Morjim and Ashwem, giving full details of the venue, while others are still being advertised citing secret locations.
An activist against loud music from Anjuna Cirilo D’Souza said despite giving the written complaints, the music is not being stopped by the police. He too alleged that there exits a link of lower-level police with the organisers of party.
“We have been informing the police whenever we receive the information about such activities, but it is sad to say, there was no response from them”, he said.De Souza has recently given a complaint at Anjuna Police Station against a notorious establishment in Anjuna stating the loud music is being played till 3 am in the morning.
He has particularly mentioned in the complaint that students who are preparing for the board exams are affected due to unholy nexus between police and party organizers.
Anjuna and Ashwem are world famous for its trance parties held on the beach during the New Year time. Of late, nightlife in North Goa has steadily picked up momentum and has gained popularity, but it was affected after series of incidents of drug overdose case in past. But despite the fact that, the stage is all set once again to host rave parties with loud music on the beach at night.
Another resident of Assagao Sagar Sirsaikar has said that stopping music is impossible with the present system of policing.
“I am witness to such incidents where I accompany police to stop the music, it stops for sometime but before I could reach home the music starts again”, he said.
Similar incident is also informed by Ankit Salgaonkar of Anjuna that before police could reach at party venue the music stops after giving a call to local police or to the control room.“After Police inspects and send the negative action taken report, music starts and that goes till early in the morning”, he said.
He further said that repeated calls at the same venue are being ignored by the Police.
Meanwhile Director General of Police, Dr Mukesh Chander has refused to accept the claim that lower police staff colludes with illegal party organisers. “Don’t go by past, I have given instruction not to bluff me, you tell me if music is being played at anywhere, I will see that it is stopped and person is penalised for violating law”, he said.
We agree. On behalf of the people of the coastal belt will continue to probe, unearth, inform and report.
