Who would have thought that the first full blown altercation between two non BJP ministers of the coalition government would be over Electronic Dance Music Festivals (EDMs). After Herald first reported that the organisers of the EDM biggie Sunburn, after making serious overtures to Tourism Minister Babu Azgaonkar, had got an informal window of opportunity of getting their festival back to Goa, the WRD minister Vinod Palyekar, vowed not to allow any EDM in his area.
The altercation and face off only heightened when the tourism minister confirmed to Herald that he was open to Sunburn coming back if they cleared their dues, spoke to another section of the media asking Palyekar to back off and not interfere with his functioning.
Interestingly, none of their respective parties – the MGP and the Goa Forward Party – have commented or reacted to this freshly developing standoff. This is clearly a case of each minister jostling for space and control. Minister Azgaonkar, who has had issues with even the GTDC, under the domain of his department; wants absolute supremacy of the tourism department where he needs to have the last word.
For Palyekar, the hegemony over Siolim is his top most priority. With a portfolio which is not as high profile, Palyekar has projected himself as a crusader against the scourge of drugs, raves and prostitution in the northern belt. With the deaths of two young people, almost certainly of drug over-doze, after attending electronic dance parties of two of the clubs, the focus has squarely shifted to the sleaze and drug laden northern belt. Minister Palyaekar is on strong ground when he opposed EDMs till a policy is in place since Chief Minister Parrikar himself said that the presence of drugs in these parties is almost a given. Therefore, there is merit in the argument that all decisions pertaining to allowing even big EDM festivals should be on hold till a comprehensive tourism policy which dovetails Goa’s approach to tourism and how it plans to allow EDMs festivals, is firmly in place.
The Tourism Minister surely has a mandate to promote tourism in Goa. But he is completely aware of the environment against drugs and the fact that it is taking lives. The approach to EDM festivals therefore has to be very well thought out and decisions taken on the basis of wide consultations and stakeholder engagement, especially with elected representatives of all coastal constituencies.
The authority to take the final decision lies with him, but no minister can isolate himself from reality and ask his cabinet colleagues, to stay out. Governance has to be inclusive and encourage consultation and debate especially on such serious and contentious issues.
At the same time Vinod Palyekar, who is a first time MLA after all, needs to be counselled not to react in a knee jerk manner by issuing a press release to take on another minister. In the same spirit of inclusiveness and consultation, the WRD minister Palyekar should have also reached out to the Tourism Minister and asked for wider consultations on the issue rather than say that he would not allow EDMs in his constituency.
Decisions of such importance cannot be constituency centric. While Palyekar has erred in making it seem so, he too should take the policy and stakeholder consultation route. It is here that the Chief Minister and the heads of two of the supporting parties, the Goa Forward and the MGP, both of whom are ministers (Sudin Dhavalikar and Vijai Sardesai) must lead the way to bring all tourism related decisions under a watertight policy framework. Once that is done, the Tourism Minister should be given charge to ensure that there is no deviation to the agreed and finalised policy.
After all, such sensitive issues cannot be solved by a barrage of statements, counter statements and mudslinging by Ministers.
