Even as the Governor of Goa, very rightly voiced her concerns on sex tourism and the narcotics trade in Goa, in her Republic Day address, the recesses of the Social Media threw up more mysterious announcements of trance and electronic parties in the northern coastal belt during the current long weekend.
In a location called “Dreambeach” trance and techno gurus were supposed to belt out their stuff through DJs like Giuseppe, Dash, Mind Pirates and Dragonboyz o Jan 27 and 28. On Feb 21 “Ancient Frequncies” will be performing at ‘Arena Jungle Club’ behind the old Westend, with DJs like Oxidaksi, Mal kaviam etc.
The point being that exactly a month ago Herald, in a series of stories had indicated (and later found true) that most of these electronic parties, held in unheard of and suspicious locations had announced gigs with no permissions taken. Subsequently there was a crackdown ordered by the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police. The Excise Commissioner was also asked to ensure strict compliance of all excise rules and take strong action against parties operating without getting licences.
The strong association of drugs being sold and consumed at these events remains and a wide range of sources make no bones about the fact that one of the biggest markets of drugs in Goa are electronic and trance parties. The Chief Minister has assured of a “robust system” to put an end to the drug and prostitution trade, and as always we will wait for that to unfold.
However, if he is close to making a decision on not allowing a single party in the vicinity of the 180 odd spots designated as suspicious for drug consumption and sale, then that needs to be rolled out immediately.
The government has to put a complete stop to allowing unauthorised and suspicious electronic dance parties to be announced and held, despite all the posturing and perhaps even serious effort being made to tackle the drug trade, head on. It is also evident that a lot of time which could go into planning and execution of these priorities get diverted when taxi owners literally hold the state to ransom and all energies are diverted towards handling it.
Meanwhile, the Anti Narcotics Cell, the Excise Department and other allied departments should sit on a reconstituted state level committee to look at all applications for any entertainment in the northern coastal belt – according to a specific area demarcated area. A long as decision making rests at the police station level, electronic and trance parties will be held and their assorted “benefits” will be available for sale and consumption. For a real “robust system” to tackle drugs and prostitution, a robust system of taking the power to allot permissions should be in place in lieu of the existing system.
In fact, the situation is so serious that the ANC needs to be strengthened, given additional manpower, machinery and budgets and allowed a free hand to take independent decisions in police station areas without getting bogged down by existing protocols.
The coastal belt really needs to cleansed and unlike the taxi issue where taxi owners have been treated with kid gloves, the crackdown on illegal parties being held under the nose of the government has to be fast and furious.
It is no longer an issue of whether this crackdown has to happen but how soon this will be done when yesterday was the deadline.
