Stop bullying Goa’s tourism in the name of elections
In a clear sign of blatant unplanned adhoc-ism, the district administrations, obviously under the directions of the Election Commission has ordered restaurants and bars to shut down at 11 pm. Even this is a grace, since come February 6, the curfew hour will be further pushed back to 10 pm till the elections are over.
This strange affliction of linking elections to simple merriment in a tourist destination is bizarre. Let us look at the ostensible reasons for shutting down these places at 10 at night, to even try and get a method in this madness. Logic 1: Political parties will send hordes of supporters to bars and restaurants to have free food and booze to influence them. Question: Free food and booze can be given at any time and can still be done. Is there a study to prove that booze and food for dinner works better than lunch? Logic number 2: Bars and restaurants open at night lead to people gathering and can cause law and order issues Question: What does this have to do with elections? A small miniscule of Goas law and order problems happen because bars and restaurants stay open till late. The problem is with the kind of activities which sometimes take place in a few select places. But that is again a policing issue, not an election one.
The government is still in power and till the new government takes over, the existing one still function and it is its duty to look after the basic welfare of its citizens. Asking restaurants to stop business at ten o clock will hit the beleaguered tourism sector hard and the government should take this with the EC. In the tourist coastal belt of North and South Goa, people relax, have a few drinks and then walk into a restaurant around between 9 and 11 to have a late meal. Though foreign tourists do it the other way around, have an early dinner and then have drinks, the effect is the same. You either miss out on food or drinks, unless you package both by ten which doesn’t always happen. Closing a restaurant at 10 pm means the last order should be in as early as 9.15. The last drink order will also be around 9.30 to 9.45 since the bar has to be shut with no liquor on the tables by 10 pm.
The EC must understand that unlike UP or Punjab where elections are taking place, restaurants and bars are a part of the state’s business and industrial activity in Goa. It is as vital as running a tractor factory in Punjab or a sugar mill in UP. Stretch your imagination and thin how these states would react if the EC banned these units from functioning during election time. While this is not a logical parallel, it’s a real practical parallel since the impact of both these decisions is the same.
The right way to do this in Goa is to have greater vigilance and look for other vital signs. For instance, it should check if a bar or restaurant is allowing an unusual amount of credit to customers because bills would be settled later or look for a sudden influx of locals who never came there before. At the same time wine stores should be watched to see if major bulk purchases are made. The idea is to be watchful without harming genuine businesses and taking the pleasure of visiting Goa away from genuine tourists.
