This is something that will defy some private public sentiment, but that will not come in the way of putting this out. It is bizarre that a music festival which is running for the past seven years and has gone on to become one of the premier electronic festivals, should have to gasp and stutter and look at the morning sun and pray that by sunset, permissions to host their festival, applied for a year ago will reach them, with the world at their gates waiting for the party to begin.
Let’s call a spade a sword because calling spade a spade isn’t enough. a) Permissions have been given to stage the Sunburn festival for the past seven years. If that is the case, is there a need to wait for 11 months for the entire process of permissions to be given this year? b) For seven years, the festival has been plagued with allegations of drug sale and consumption, when honestly, it is the music which has been heady and for those who know- and that’s all that matters- this means a lot and Sunburn’s (and we are sure the new baby Supersonic too will head that way) ratings on the world stage justify the quality of their acts and the support they have been getting. c) If there was any evidence of drugs being sold, bought and consumed, action should have been initiated under the NDPS Act and the organisers booked. The question that needs to be indeed asked is this. Shacks and beach side nightclubs in Anjuna, right next to Vagator where Sunburn is being held openly sell drugs across the counter and as recently as two months ago a TV channel did a sting operation stating that they filmed at Curlies shack in Anjuna and found drugs being sold at the counter. (Disclaimer: Herald is merely reporting on this sting report and what it claims is in public domain)
How is it kosher for these places to sell drugs with no one making a noise and the same allegations are heaped year after year on these music festivals? The point is, investigate, find and take action. d) If commercial taxes are not collected and Coastal Zone regulations are not checked, is the fault of the organisers whose applications are the starting point for these checks? e) This charge borders on the hilarious. The festival organiser’s are selling tickers and doing their promotions before permissions are given? The point is that if permissions are given after sunset on the day before the festival, where one earth do you expect a turnaround in 12 to 24 hours. Apart from all else, the music acts are booked 18 to 20 months in advance. They aren’t exactly road side DJ’s who land up and play once you send them a text message.
The Goa government and its people must get this. International festivals of this scale have far too much to lose by cutting corners. Their reputation and equity hit if these festivals are plagued by a drug scandal or any illegality is far too huge for them to jeopardize it all. They have much more at stake than the government, whose only interest sadly, seems to be to extract the maximum from the organizers as if extraction is going out of fashion faster than the speed of 5G Internet.
These festivals as we have argued, is the only- yes only- draw for tourists and all its allied businesses. And the three festivals, Sunburn, Supersonic and Krank will just about keep Goa Tourism in the ICU rather than the grave. The government’s excruciating delay in giving permissions may ultimately snap the last ounce of patience of the organizers. Can we allow this lifeline to be snapped?
Goa will be poorer if that happens.
