When was the last time you read or heard about a Goan being involved in a crime in any of the Indian States or overseas? The response will most probably be never in the recent past. Then why is it that we allow anybody and everybody who comes to Goa, either as a tourist or service personnel, to do anything they wish and then as a token gesture penalise them by issuing a challan or filing a complaint?
Right from rash driving leading to fatal accidents to driving vehicles onto the shore and hooliganism on the beaches and brawls in night clubs, everything is done in the name of, ‘Goa mein sab kuch chalta hai’ (everything is fair in Goa).
The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data reveals that in Goa, the number of crimes involving foreigners as accused is more than four times the number of crimes committed against foreign nationals. The data for domestic tourists wouldn’t be different, rather it would be lopsided towards their involvement in criminal activities more than the number of crimes committed against them. Here we are talking about serious crimes including drug peddling, etc. Therefore, social misbehaviour is not even counted as a crime and therefore there is no data available.
Every year Goa welcomes three to four times the number of people equal to its population, the highest number during the fortnight of Christmas and New Year. Year after year tourism plans are designed and executed but what mechanisms have been put in place by the government to ensure that the illegalities and hooliganism in the name of tourism are brought to a halt? Does the government of Goa have a holistic plan involving various departments to nip in the bud the wrongdoings and ensure that a rotten apple doesn’t spoil the whole basket?
With the addition of the Manohar International Airport at Mopa, a lot of traffic has been diverted from Dabolim to the North Goa airport, which then disperses into the coastal belt of North Goa. The availability of rent-a-cars and rent-a-bikes has grown exponentially and to top it up, private vehicles too are being rented out. How else could a foreign national drive or ride a white number plate (private) vehicle registered in Goa?
Therefore, as yet another Christmas and New Year tourism is at our doorsteps, it’s time for the government to roll up its sleeves, and plan and execute a robust mechanism to keep troublemakers at bay and help tourists enjoy their holidays and create memories.
Proper policing is at the crux of the matter with utmost attention to the responsibility of being on the road for the safety of the people and not merely as alternate tax collectors in the form of challans. More and more ministers and MLAs have been speaking about drunken driving and breath analyser tests around event venues. During the week ahead of the New Year and a week into the New Year police should carry out massive patrolling equipped with breath analyser test kits across the State, especially in the tourist hotspots.
Christmas and New Year’s eve have brought about an extended weekend and therefore it is expected that tourist influx at the beaches will be high. The police should maintain a vigil on the beaches so that no one enters the beach with alcohol bottles or cans. Every year, there are numerous cases of tourists getting injured due to broken alcohol bottles, in addition to the increasing number of cases of brawls on the beach under the influence of alcohol. After all, tourists’ safety is paramount for the industry to continue flourishing.
Simultaneously, the transport department needs to keep a check on private vehicles being rented out illegally to tourists, and alongwith the traffic police should ensure that the laws are enforced to assure a better driving experience for those who do not disturb the peace of others on the road.
Only when there is a coordinated effort between various departments of the government, will the tourists visiting the State be able to experience a flawless holiday.
Since the tourism industry has now turned into the backbone of Goa’s economy after the collapse of the mining industry – which is yet to be revived, only a vision, planning and holistic execution can ensure that the ‘goose that lays the golden eggs is not killed’.
