While this
comment from a European designer may be over alarming and perhaps not quite in sync, but it’s a reflection of
the unease.
“Goa is unsafe for
women. There are nearly 200 foreigner murders that remain unsolved in Goa. It
is important to develop a culture where women are treated with respect. Gender
inequality is what is keeping India in the dark ages,” she says, not wanting
her name to be mentioned
For 14 years, English
couple Norman and Carole Steen have been living a harmonious life running their
guesthouse in a restored Portuguese heritage mansion, Casa Susegad, in
Loutolim. Norman Steen says, “As a man, I feel safe in Goa but I can’t say the
same about women. I have observed Indian men, especially on the southern
beaches in Palolem and Patnem, leering and ogling women. There are also cases
of rapes and murders being reported. As far as my wife and I are concerned, we
have local villagers working with us and we have a family from Jharkhand that
has become a part of our family. If you treat them well and give them respect,
it makes it difficult to react in a different manner or to get enraged. It is a
two-way traffic.”
Speaking about the
village life in Loutolim and its safety, Norman speaks about making the right
choice. “We chose well. When we came to Goa in 2005, there was nothing much on
the internet to read about news from Goa. We didn’t want to be in the north and
the coast of Goa, which are the busiest tourist areas. Loutolim has been
perfect,” says Norman.
A marketing executive
settled in Goa says that he and his wife feel completely secure with the people
around them. However, the biggest issue is that the people who you know and
trust are the accused. “It is important to know who you employ because it is
not strangers that you have to worry about. Like the rest of the world, you
have to be careful in Goa as well. You have to especially be vigilant about the
people that you let into your home. Goa is much safer that places like Delhi
and Gurgaon, where such cases happen on a regular basis. While living in a
village, there are people who know you and respect you and I am assured that my
wife can travel safely from her workplace to home even late in the night,” he
says.
Shweta Bajaj, a
journalist and documentary film maker, lives just a few houses away from
Shireen Mody’s home in Arpora. “I feel very safe in Goa. These are one off
cases but you have to take care of yourself. You might feel free in Goa
compared to other places but still you have to be on guard. In Shireen’s case,
something had gone wrong”.
She makes an
important point as she adds, “It is important to know who you are hiring and in
her case, it was a gardener who worked for her for very long. It was very
unfortunate. Shireen and Monika Ghurde’s case too are sad cases in Goa. There
will be five cases reported in cities like Delhi and Mumbai regularly but it’s
sad that we have to be careful in Goa, especially single women. You have to do
your basic checks. But in my personally view, I trust more people in Goa than
anywhere else,” says Shweta.
Journalist and PR
professional Sinead Mcmanus, an Irish writer and PR professional, who has made
Goa her home for years, articulates a sense of unease among those from outside
Goa. “ I have always said that Goa is one the safest and friendliest places you
can ever live in. But after Shireen’s death, I make sure that my doors are
bolted. I’m no longer certain that the security guard in my building will be
there to protect when needed. It’s a strange feeling”.
There
is no palpable fear. But when stray cases go in numbers, the worry warts grow.
And even though there are many who live in comfort and safety in Goa, a murder
like this makes even the most optimistic pause and look over their shoulders
more than before. And that is a sad truth.
