FRIDAY, MAY 10, 2024
While several nations across the globe were imposing lockdowns for Christmas and New Year and several Indian metros had imposed night curfews to prevent another wave of Covid-19 infections, it was shocking that Goa kept its doors wide open for merry making with total disregard for the health safety of the Goan people. The Health Minister discovered his voice at the last moment to prompt the Home Minister on the need for imposition of a night curfew, but not before the tourists had already flocked to Goa for the Christmas and New Year party. The timing chosen by the minister to sound an alert was more like a taunt to Goans besides being more of a clever attempt to absolve the health ministry of any responsibility, in the event of any future controversy arising if another wave of Covid-19 breaks out leading to loss of lives. Are we to believe that the Health Minister and the health authorities did not foresee a surge in tourists entering Goa for the New Year celebrations considering that night curfews were imposed in many neighbouring States?
When Goans got locked indoors and civil liberties suspended for over a month in Goa even when there was not a single case of Covid-19 detected at that time, and more so when nine months later the Epidemic Act and Disaster Management Act continue to be arbitrarily invoked to stop Goans from gathering for street protests and for other social events, should Goans not have been demanding to know from their Government as to how all Covid prevention SOPs got ignored to entertain the tourists? Such inconsistency in governance policies actually gives credence to claims, often brushed off as conspiracy theories, that the crisis of the Covid-19 pandemic in India is not as serious but is being played up for ulterior political designs. The several contradictions visible when it comes to enforcing the rules of social distancing, masks and limitations on social gatherings gives an impression that the Government is exploiting the pandemic merely to curtail civil liberties and crush public dissent. When boosting people’s immunity and minimising the spread of Covid infections has to be the top-most health priority, how come activities that are counter-productive in the fight against Covid are permitted with an excuse of reviving the economy?
Goans are repeatedly reduced to mute spectators when Goa descends into chaos in the name of tourism during every festive season. All rights of the local people are unofficially suspended and laws are relaxed to please the guests (tourists) on entering Goa by bestowing upon them a divine status of God: Atithi Devo Bhava. These guests enjoy immunity from the rule of law, even to an extent of trespassing and destroying private property while the cops look the other side. Goans are subjected to abuse by boisterous tourists who create havoc on the roads, beaches and in other public places. Goans, particularly those living in and around the coastal belt, are forced to become prisoners in their homes during every festive season because of an unregulated and indulgent tourism of drunkenness, violence and vulgarity. Several Goans have even given up visiting the beaches because of the menace of rowdies and criminals. The law and order machinery becomes dormant when it comes to taming the boisterous desi tourists. It will not be long before tourists consider it their right to party in Goan balcaos and crash into wedding receptions.
The reality is that Goa's economic development model has been gradually but surely enslaving Goans rather than liberating them. To state it bluntly, Goans are being driven into a situation wherein “beggars can no more be choosers”. The enslavement of Goans is visible whenever the law catches up with illegal economic activities. The noises from so claimed ‘mining dependents’ and ‘tourism dependents’ no sooner laws get strictly enforced only shows how Goans are trapped in an economy with no alternate option but to support the unjust and illegal trade. ‘Dependency’ is by no way a sign of progress. Dependency reflects a lack of choice and a compulsion to support a particular activity. The local cabbies being protected to defy the law by refusing to install digital fare meters and their violent attacks on app based taxis to prevent fair trade is neither ethical nor responsible tourism.
Goa’s problem is that central laws and infrastructure development targets are irrationally and indiscriminately applied to this State without considering its size, physical factors and the social impact. Goa’s model of development is more like the Aesop’s fable of the ‘earthworm and the snake’. Goans are kept entertained in saving Goa’s lungs while Goa’s mind and soul is allowed to decay. There is silence on public spaces being captured to entertain tourists and on the privacy and peace of Goans being compromised to boost employment and the State’s revenue. There is silence as the culture of night life becomes a licence for holidaymakers, many of whom own or occupy second homes, to disturb the neighbourhood at night. There is silence as the peace in Goa’s villages, more so at night, is gradually being destroyed by mushrooming guest houses, restaurants and their rowdy domestic clients. We do not see protests to defend the right to sleep which is a fundamental right to life. There is silence as public roads, footpaths and river fronts become casino property to generate State revenue. There is no protest when the ease of doing business for industry becomes an ease for creating public nuisance. Goans need to understand that they cannot be partners in an economy which survives on promoting vices of booze, drugs, sex and gambling, and then expect no long-term adverse consequences on their society.
(The author is a Social
Activist)
