A weekend in Goa meant parties all over the place, parties that catered to every whim and fancy. Truth be told it was a hedonists delight Then the virus came to Goa and put an end to everything. Parties, weddings, and sporting encounters everything shut. Or so we thought. This paper has repeatedly reported on illegal parties taking place and drugs being available in substantial quantities. Over this weekend the police busted another party n Vagator and seized drugs valued approximately Rs 9 lakhs. What was also interesting was the arrest of Russian nationals who were acting as Dj’s but also possibly doubling as drug dealers. These parties have been taking place at a time when there is a ban on public gatherings. Parties are being organised by foreigners.
Locsks allege that there is a collusion between the police, politicians , and members of high society. There is a general sense of anger and irritation that erupts when the media reports about such parties. The question that needs to be asked is if the people of Goa have to live this or how can this link be broken and make the state safe for everyone.
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He is a man who has been involved in the promotion of Goa as an international hotspot. Savio Messias the former President of the TTAG was brutally frank when he said that it was a known fact that along with tourism, drugs and prostitution flourished. He said “This usually depends on the authorities who should crack down regularly. It is a known fact that drugs are freely available all over the place. I will also say this it is not consigned to the high societies but it is also available amongst the labour class. There have been several drug seizures in hutments. There is a nexus between the traffickers, politicians, and high society. I strongly believe that if there is a will there is away”. He felt the drug mafia could be controlled to a certain extent. He said “I have reports of drugs being peddled by shops and taxi drivers. A lot of people are involved. Room boys and other hotel staff are also involved. The government needs to keep a check on this. Rave parties are happening and everyone knows about it.” He felt the legislation was there and it had only to be implemented to ensure such incidents don’t occur.
Smitha Bhandare Kamat, Associate Professor S.S.Dempo College of Commerce and Economics speaking as an academic bemoaned the wasting of young human potential. She said “ It’s unfortunate that our youth are trapped in this suicidal way of life. It’s a systematic mechanism at work and needs to be addressed accordingly. Holding peddlers and small-time drug dealers do not suffice. A more proactive and aggressive means have to be adopted moreover on a priority basis”
Bhandare said that the two Vagator rave parties have exposedthe dark belly of Goa. Collective responsibility and contribution to deal with this problem is warranted. She felt these incidents had to be stopped to ensure a image change was possible from a ‘cheap’ tourist destination to a more ideal family holiday destination. Smitha felt being more vigilant as a parent, teacher, villager and roping in bodies like churches temples and other institutions could play a vital role in detecting tracing and providing remedial measures to the victims to cope with this multi-headed monster.
The President of TTAG, Nilesh Shah was very worried about the state of affairs. He said “We have to get strict otherwise we will not get the family tourists. The norms should be followed strictly. I will say this, these parties cannot happen without local support. These parties have repeatedly happened in that area. If we stamp it out it will send the right message to India that Goa is safe for families to visit”. Asked about how was it that foreigners were organizing parties, he said it had to be stopped and if exceptional cases the people should be barred from returning to Goa. He said these parties with the drugs being available were having an effect on the local population too with the youth facing the brunt.
The former Deputy Mayor of CCP, Kabir Pinto Makhija was very correct in his statement. He said “It’s a shame that people are taking this pandemic so lightly and organising parties!! While some of us take our role as responsible Goans seriously and are home and following the given set of rules, it infuriates me to see some locals hand in glove with foreigners and Indian tourists who come and use Goa for their nefarious activities. The police need to crack down heavily on those flouting rules and maybe one needs to seriously think of severe punishment and deportation to those who think Goa is their playground for drugs and other illegal activities”.
Perhaps the most direct and blunt response was given by Nupura Hautamaki who lives in the belt where these parties are organized, Anjuna. She laughed when asked for her reaction to the raid, the seizure of drugs, and the fact that foreigners were organizing rave parties in the state.
She said “I find it really fascinating that all the parties that are raided are organized by foreigners or non-Goans, when there are enough parties with larger crowds happening every week organized at well known night ckubs and dhacks run by gians where drugs flow. They never get busted”
She said that this can only happen with a nexus between politicians, the police and the local organizers being in cahoots, and is a nice way for them to probably get rid of the competition. So then all can come to only parties being organised by the locals as opposed to outsiders making money on these parties. “Plus let’s be honest who is giving these villas, attending these parties, arranging for booze, food, etc without any local contacts”, Hautamaki signs off.
Perhaps therein lies the truth. Local participation is rampant in this business and that ensures, the people that matter are willing to look the other way. Therein lies the tragedy.
