Have Goa’s gruesome crimes bridged the outsider-insider classification?

Even before the blood dries- as it were- on one crime, another gruesome killing is inflicted. The wounds cut deep, into the fabric of Goan society, making one wonder,  what has happened to the Goa, we know. The proprietor of Krishni Jewelers was murdered in broad daylight and now the murder of two women in Siolim by the wife of their nephew. In October Torda resident Vilas Methar was burnt alive in Porvorim, After a two-month investigation, the police have zeroed in on the motive for the murder.  A builder who was enraged with the victim since he filed numerous RTI applications against his building projects allegedly assigned a contract killer to eliminate him. In the Siolim murder case too, the plotters were locals who assigned the murder to others. What is striking about these cases was that they were all Goans involved in these disturbing instances. Yes, there are crimes committed by people from all over the country but is it not time now to put an end to this notion that all the crime in the state is committed by outsiders only. The reactions from people were not surprising.  FOr Deputy Mayor of Panjim Kabir Pinto Makhija felt the percentage of crimes being committed by outsiders was way higher than those committed by locals. He said “ This murder case may involve a local, but if you look at all the burglaries, ATM thefts, drug cases etc they are all committed by outsiders. With the economy at an all-time low because of the virus, these crimes may only rise and we will have to be alert and vigilant.” Milroy Goes film director, however, felt it would be unwise to look at crime committed in that manner. He said “A crime committed by a Goan or Non-Goan, Crime is a crime and every criminal shall be punished as per the IPC. The increase in the crime rate in Goa is really alarming. I feel community policing is need of an hour”. Bharat Kamat a man known never to shy away from saying what was on his mind felt many crimes were being committed by people whose income had dropped. He said “These are migrants who have come to the state and live in daily wages. If you look at the police records, you will find this to be true. As regards to murders, locals live with their family and within the society and adhere to the requirements of the society. On the other hand, migrants are struggling to survive and tend to commit a crime to protect themselves which could range from petty crimes to dacoity and even murder. So it could be said that the crime rate amongst migrants is higher than that of locals, especially in a state like Goa”. Perhaps the more nuanced reply came from two people who had a ringside view of the situation on the ground. Adv Shanti Fonseca- Social scientist and Sr Criminal lawyer observed that poverty is the mother of all crime. This, however, she pointed out was not true when one looked at victims and accused of a crime in Goa. She said “Over a period of time, a myth has been broken in Goa. The outsider is always blamed for every crime in Goa.  However, the ugly side of the Goan is now being exposed to increasing crimes by Goans on Goans as in the Siolim murder were the mastermind behind the crime was a Goan.  This also means that we have become a ‘Supari’ Society’ where organized crime has shown its ugly head over our horizons.  In recent years, goons gangs and goondas have become part of our everyday life. I live in a village of North Goa where my biggest fear is the unemployed Goan youth of our village and not an outsider”. Carlos Ferreira has had a distinguished legal career and still practices in the high court. He said “As a Public Prosecutor in the High Court for six years, it has been my experience that a large number of accused in major criminal offences were not from Goa. The NDPS cases too had many outsiders including foreigners being accused. Of course, we did have some cases where some Goans were involved in crime: these were minor and petty crimes and rarely serious offences. It is very difficult to say at this stage that both the cases reported have been “cracked” for we are yet to see these cases being charge-sheeted and tested in Court. Public pressure can result in the arrest of the wrong persons. But of late, a large number of people and especially youth are getting restless. Many are idle and indulging in petty crimes and some even in drugs. I blame the Central and the state governments for this sorry state of affairs: misplaced public expenditure, price hikes, no jobs, and no job opportunities- these factors will surely increase the crime rate anywhere in the world”. Perhaps the truth may lie somewhere in the middle. This is a subject that sadly can never be discussed in a sane manner. One can only hope the situation improves in the future.