‘Let them eat cake’, is what the Queen of France Marie Antoinette is supposed to have said, when she was told that the peasants in her country had no bread to eat. This was in the late 18th century, Marie Antoinette was queen to Louis the XVI and the country was witnessing an uprising that led to the French Revolution. Students of history will recall that one of the reasons for the revolution was the financial crisis that the country was in, yet the royalty continued to spend lavishly, ignoring the depleting coffers. The revolution overthrew the monarchy and brought in a republic.
On Thursday, Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar made a statement that was reminiscent of the ‘let them eat cake’ statement attributed to Marie Antoinette. Announcing the government’s decision to allow the offshore casinos to stay on in the River Mandovi for another year, the Chief Minister said, “In Goa there is no opposition to land casinos. So we can ask the offshore casino operators to identify suitable land site and shift their casinos there.” That statement is not only a major gaffe but indicates that this government is not in tune with what the people in this State want and is also just not serious about moving the offshore casinos out of the River Mandovi. A Chief Minister who is sensitive to what the people want wouldn’t risk making a statement that is insensitive to the people’s demands.
The government had identified Rivers Mandovi (river mouth), Zuari, Chapora and Aguada Bay as possible sites to shift the offshore casinos. Residents of the areas around these sites objected to having the vessels in the waters around their homes. Simple reasoning will suggest that if there is opposition to having casinos in the waters, there will be objection, even more vociferous, to having the floating casinos that are currently anchored in the river from laying concrete foundations on land. If the government can’t foresee this, then it is because its vision is blinkered by the money that the casinos bring to its coffers. The Chief Minister admitted at the same media briefing that there was complete opposition to the casinos in the areas where they were proposed to be shifted.
This government can be assured right now that Goans will not allow the floating casinos to establish themselves on Goan land. The government should also know that the law does not permit live gaming on land. The current land casinos consist of slot machines and mechanical games. Live gaming, under the law, is permitted only on offshore vessels. Earlier this year, the government blundered with the amendment to the Tree Act that declassified the coconut tree. In the past few weeks it has drawn much flak for that. Is it still willing to gamble by amending the Goa Gambling Act to allow live gaming on land?
Should the government go ahead with what the Chief Minister has proposed for the offshore casinos, it will end up being the biggest U-turn that this government has taken. The Bharatiya Janata Party had promised to shift the offshore casinos from River Mandovi. The people have been waiting for this to happen and never did they imagine that the Chief Minister would propose that the floating casinos be brought from the waters to the land. The Chief Minister has put a new spin to the issue of shifting the offshore casinos, and in an election year this is one big gamble on an emotive issue that he may not be able to play and win. No, Mr Chief Minister, the people of Goa will not accept live gaming on their land. Take the floating casinos to the high seas, as has been suggested by your deputy, and keep them there. That is where they belong.
