For a State that promotes tourism, every footfall is important. In fact Goa, which is heavily dependent on foreign tourists, who come in bulk and get foreign exchange for the State, can ill afford to have crime being committed against them.
Safety and security of all tourists is the prime responsibility of the State. But the recurrence of crime against tourists shows that the policing system in the State is still not effective enough to prevent crime in the public places.
On Monday the police arrested a 34-year-old man for allegedly raping a British National at the famous Sweet Lake near Arambol beach in North Goa. The incident has received a lot of flak from international media, especially the British press.
Several foreigners have died in Goa over the past decade or so, including 15-year-old British schoolgirl Scarlett Keeling, whose bruised and semi-naked body was found in shallow waters at Anjuna beach in 2008.
Initially, the Police stated it was a drowning case but the second autopsy report confirmed Keeling’s rape and death due to a drug overdose. The crime created a huge sensation.
Not only the incident received lot of bad press from within and outside the country, but the victim’s mother for long continued her tirade against Goa government on her Facebook page, highlighting and criticising every crime reported against foreigners coming to Goa.
There is a long list of unnatural deaths of tourists in Goa, be it domestic or foreign. A cash-strapped State, which is struggling to remain afloat, especially after COVID-19, there is no way it can afford bad publicity, especially from foreign press.
On one hand the State wants “quality tourists”, who would bring in good money and “behave well.” On the other hand, it has been found lacking in crime control, time and again. Be harassment by touts, traffic police, fleecing money, misbehaviour or even physical harm, the tourists coming to Goa experience have faced at least one such issue.
The biggest problem with our policing system is that it is more reactive than being proactive. Arresting someone after a ghastly crime is a consolation for the victim and his or her relatives. Be it promptly registering complaints and taking preventive action or vigorous patrolling of the dark alleys of Goa’s hinterland, all these have to be done on a warfooting.
Apart from that having proper infrastructure in tourist hotspots is equally important. Basic amenities like changing rooms and washrooms especially for women, is missing. Lifeguards in comparison to the number of tourists visiting beaches and other water bodies are much lesser. The State has to do more for preventing drowning deaths.
It is no brainer to understand the importance of these measures. Safety of every citizen is the responsibility of State establishment. Lack of manpower and funds have always been cited as reasons for State governments across the country failing to do enough in the area of crime prevention.
For State like Goa, which does not have a huge industrial base and is dependent on tourism and mining (one is seasonal and impacted by geopolitical events like war and pandemic and the other being shut since long), it has to get its act together. Although there is no doubt that the police and other government authorities are trying to do their best, but it is certainly not proving to be enough.
The government must remember that stakes are high and there are other tourism options that are also available around Goa. There are places like Ratnagiri on one side and Mangalore, Udupi on the other. If these places are developed properly and get proper air connectivity, then Goa could be soon finding itself in a precarious situation.
The Goa government has to put all the efforts needed to salvage the situation and prevent the tourists from opting for other locations. If it does not understand this now, it may find itself in choppy waters few years down the line.
