From touts fleecing tourists, to rapes and murders, the crime rate in the State is constantly on the rise. Despite the tall claims of the government that the crime detection rate is high, the failure to deter public from indulging in criminal activities is clearly visible in everyday life. It seems as if there are no more ‘no nonsense’ officers who command respect and are able to keep law and order in check.
In the run-up to the inaugural function of National Games, every Goan held high expectations from the government to witness a one-of-its-kind gala event that would showcase the strength of the State and reassure everyone that Goa has overcome the stains of unwanted activities, and is not a haven of what it shouldn’t be, but an experiential heaven for every soul here. However, the curfew between Dabolim Airport and Margao that was imposed on the day of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the State, shattered all expectations of every sane thinking Goan.
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While the most important VVIP of the country was in Goa for a national event, people of the State seemed disenchanted with the treatment meted out to the commoners.
Shutting down every big and small business in and around Fatorda and also from INS Hansa to Nuvem, quite literally shutting down the public transport system and ban on private vehicles on the stretch for six hours of the day, all done at the eleventh hour isn’t how a well governed State functions.
There could only be two possible explanations to the fiasco and chaos – a very serious security threat to the life of the Prime Minister or the lack of professionalism and inability of Goa Police that could jeopardise the situation and therefore in a panic mode put everything to a standstill.
As for the security threat to the PM’s life, there is no information in the public domain from either the Central government or the State. The Prime Minister’s public appearances in the poll-bound States to campaign for his party also negates this theory as an option. Otherwise, during the campaign, towns and cities would look as deserted as were the national highways between Dabolim Airport and Margao.
Therefore, the only reason one can understand that such a farcical show of tight security was put up, was to avoid the shame of exposing lack of professionalism.
Days before the event could start, all the major junctions on this route began witnessing massive traffic jams as the police personnel would switch off the signals and man the traffic themselves. Thus, keeping traffic off the road was the only option available because lack of training to handle traffic movement was very visible in the days leading up to the inaugural function.
The police personnel in the sight of the commoners are only trained to position themselves in groups to issue challans and at times fleece people, as evident from the number of challan scams that have been reported earlier this year. While there has been a growing demand for an overhaul of the police force, the policing on the inaugural day of the National Games has just ensured that it’s time to pitch harder for the cause sooner than later.
Goa wishes to be an event and conference destination alongside the tourism sector, but only well trained public servants who are able to execute these events without messing with the masses can make that possible. The Goa Police should take a cue from the proverb of an unknown author: “Right now, your competition is training.”
