MONDAY, MAY 06, 2024
CANACONA, APRIL 5
Come next tourism season, non-Goans, especially Kashmiris running shops at Palolem may find going tough, as residents have decided to practice maximum restraint in letting-out their premises to unknown people, who in turn causes rift within local populace.
Responding to severe disgruntled residents over some Kashmiris allegedly creating rift within local populace at Palolem recently, many locals attended a meeting on Saturday to condemn the high-handedness of some non-Goans engaged in tourism trade at Palolem, almost passing strictures that such fallacy will not be tolerated in the future.
Protesting vociferously the alleged behaviour of some Kashmiris running tourism shops at Palolem, speakers called for actual verification of Kashmiris, who alleged to have made derogatory remarks against locals which smacks of disintegrating the localities social fabric.
Speaking at the meeting held at Palolem, high court advocate Praveen Phaldessai said: “Someone commenting by saying ‘Hinduvo ko Kat (cut) donge’ to a young boy at Palolem, is the beginning of damaging Goa’s tradition who lived together irrespective of caste and creed.”
“It is high time that someone verifies the antecedents of non-Goans seeking to hire anyone’s premises to carry a trade, as now a culture have entered in coastal belt that any Tom, Dick or Harry comes and says he/she is Kashimiri and hire establishments to carry tourism trade,” stated Adv Phaldessai.
“There are several Bangladeshis and Pakistanis who have illegally entered our country and even there are claims that many of these call themselves as Kashimiri to hide their actual identity,” he added.
Poinguinim MLA Ramesh Tawadkar called for people themselves to be selective, as government of the day in the State is insensitive to people’ problems.
“People should themselves put an end of selling their land to non-Goans and we should realize that money is not everything. We should not run after only money,” said Tawadkar.
“This tourism is very good for our sustainability, but at the same time our youth are destroyed as a result of unmindful tourism,” added the MLA.
Asking people not to depend too much on police verifications, speakers called landlords to verify the antecedents of the alleged Kashmiris themselves.
“When someone approaches you to rent your business premises saying he is Kashmiri, just send a Registered AD letter to his given address and you will come to know at least some facts within the next 15 days,” said one of the speaker Jayesh Naik.
Social worker Jack Fernandes asked to systematically reap tourism fruits and not kill the trade by killing the golden egg-giving goose at one shot in an effort to make fast money.
“Let us have patience to reap benefits as it comes and not rush to gain everything at one-go,” added Fernandes.
Samrat Bhagat, Adv Yogesh Naik, Jack Fernandes, Vallabh Tengse and Arvind Dessai were some of the locals who spoke asking people to remain vigilant against non-Goans trying to create rift within the local populace.
It has been decided to appoint a committee and submit a resolution to the authorities to compulsorily verify the antecedents of non-Goans intending to hire business premises for carrying tourism trade.
