There are states of India with a much longer coastline than Goa, which has a coast that is just 105 km long. Yet Goa’s coast is world famous. It is obviously because of its lovely white sandy beaches, where visitors and locals alike can encounter a variety of people, food and entertainment. And because they have always felt safe.
For Goans, our beaches have always been a haven of carefree entertainment. A visit to the beach has always been a special ritual for us. Children play, making sandcastles, while adults splash around or just chat and relax, as in Chris Perry’s famed song ‘Konguttche Praier’. At sunset, and even later, we would walk back without a care.
But now dark shadows are falling on our bright sands. Migrant hawkers pester you to buy their trinkets or just beg. You could wade in for a good, salty splash and return to find your belongings gone. Your kids mucking around in the wet sand could be lured away by a stranger. Stray feral dogs prowl the sands. It feels very unsafe to stay out after dark now.
The recent brutal assault on a young couple at Betalbatim beach shocked Goa. The culprits, three domestic tourists, were tracked down and caught in a swift operation by the Goa Police. The ghastly rape-murder of Scarlet Keeling and several other assaults in Goa came looming back to our minds. If not for the blackmail greed of the criminals, this could easily have been another double-murder.
Things have been steadily going from bad to worse. Domestic tourists stare at our local women and foreign tourists, who are dressed in comfortable beach attire. Will we now have to worry about a dress code and safe timings on the beach? This will make a trip to the beach more stressful than relaxing. And the darkness will have won.
Women and children may no longer feel safe on our beaches. We once felt protected while being chaperoned by a male relative, or a spouse or friend. But one male is no match for a gang of goons. Will we now need a large group of males to escort us every time? We cannot point the finger at tourists alone for these crimes in Goa, as even some of our locals are involved at times. What are the solutions to this?
But the State has to do its duty too. Large boards warning tourists and locals against staying out late could be put up. Illumination of the most popular beach spaces can deter anti-social activities. It is not feasible to keep track of the lakhs of visitors entering Goa every year. But at the very least, patrolling police should detain and interrogate any suspicious persons lurking on the beaches at late hours.
Let us not allow our beautiful white sands to be stained by the blood of innocent tourists and locals. Let not our romantic sunsets end in nights of terror.
