Casinos not a security threat, says ex-DG of Coast Guard

Team Herald

PANJIM: Former Director General of the Indian Coast Guard feels that casinos are not a threat to security in Goa, but insisted on pre-emption and prevention of terrorism. 

“There is no threat to security in Goa, generally speaking if there is a good gun control… We have to prevent and pre-empt terrorism,” former Director General of Indian Coast Guard Dr Prabhakaran Paleri said, while addressing the media on Tuesday to announce a three-day conclave on national security in Goa.

Emphasising that his views on the issue were personal, based on research, Paleri said that Goa’s casino culture is different from that in Las Vegas, USA.

“I don’t think there is anything to worry about in Goa. It is not identical to Las Vegas where some suicides have taken place due to this reason. It is a different culture in Goa. The experiment is localised as casinos (culture) have not spread to other states in India,” he added.

Paleri is also vice president of a political think tank, Forum for Integrated National Security (FINS), which is organising the conclave titled ‘SAGAR (Security And Growth for All in the Region)’ scheduled to be held at Cavelossim on October 12. The discourse, being held in association with the Ministry of External Affairs, is expected to see over 21 countries participating wherein ministers, experts, scholars will address.

SAGAR this year will focus on the ocean and will not deal with the military aspect, Paleri said adding that the ‘observation and findings intend to re-engineer an ocean policy to maximise global and national ocean security governance and provide solutions on critical geo-political issues’. 

The conclave will also deliberate rising sea levels as well as other issues related the ocean governance from a perspective of United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea that defines rights and duties of nations, including landlocked and geographically disadvantaged, with respect to the use of the ocean and the governance in an internationally accepted manner.