When on March 14 the government decided on a partial lockdown in the State, including closing educational institutions, cinemas, casinos and pubs, it left the decision of continuing with the Shigmo parades to the various local organising committees. Panjim and Margao went ahead with the parades on the weekend, but many other towns, including Mormugao and Cuncolim, decided that the safety of their residents was more important and decided that the parades would not roll out on the streets of their towns. It must be noted, that the Health Minister had announced that he had moved a file to cancel all the parades, but the government did not act upon this.
It was ironic that on March 14 the Indian Super League final was played at the Fatorda stadium before empty stands, as fans were not allowed in as a precautionary measure against COVID-19. This was the first time that a high profile football final was played in Goa bereft of spectators. The decision to keep fans out was taken days earlier, even before the State government could step in with its advisories on the virus. A day later on March 15 the Shigmo parade, where thousands gathered and jostled each other for space, culminated just outside the same stadium. The social contact at the Shigmo parades is much more than at a football match as in the stadium the fans remain seated rising perhaps only to cheer their teams. The contact would be on entering and exiting the stadium, but the viewers of the Shigmo parade crush together, as they seek the best viewing point.
Very interestingly the Shigmotsav committees that cancelled parades were headed by government servants – chief officers of the respective municipal councils – who presents a very different complexion to the issue. Was the government – here the politicians – reluctant to cancel the Shigmo parades as they feared a negative reaction from the people to such a decision? Twelve years ago, in February 2008, the Panjim Carnival parade had been cancelled minutes before it was due to start, after a bus carrying school children had plunged into the river at Aldona, killing eight persons. The participants of that carnival parade had already reported at the meeting point, and spectators had begun gathering along the route, when the decision had been taken. That of course was a tragedy, and here we are attempting to avoid a disaster. If even the Zilla Panchayat election campaign has restrictions imposed, why wasn’t a similar decision taken on the parades?
For that matter, questions are now being raised on whether the government should go ahead with the Zilla Panchayat polls that have been scheduled for coming Sunday. The elections to the district bodies have already been postponed once, which was due to the Holi and Shigmo festivities. The election date had originally been fixed for March 15. There have already been restrictions imposed on the campaign, but except that sanitizers will be provided at the polling booths, there have been no other measures for the poll day announced. However, social distancing should also apply to the conduct of the polls. As voters will be queuing up at the polling stations, and given that it will be difficult to maintain the distance of one metre between two persons, the government or the State Election Commissioner should consider taking a call on rescheduling the elections. When all other precautions are being taken, shouldn’t this be one of them?
