Sometime ago, Goa Tourism unveiled its latest slogan, “Kenna fast, kenna slow”. But Goa has neither been fast or slow over the last decade or so. Doubtlessly, it has progressed. But the progress has been marked with negative footnotes, be it illegal land-grabbing, illegal mining or illegal construction. It perhaps promoted the facetious Francis de Tuem to bring out a CD titled “Illegal”. So much so, that the very word, illegal, has become synonymous with Goa. No doubt there’s corruption all over India and Goa isn’t an exception. The political sideshow that’s going on in Goa makes Goa a long-running show or rather to use a familiar term, non-stop tiatr, watched by the rest of India.
Before the new slogan, the other ubiquitous one that comes to mind is “365 days on a holiday”. It seems right to say that Goa indeed has taken a holiday — a holiday from the human senses. It seems more like a “tax holiday” given to some businesses to set up their shops in a state or India in general. The politicians are making merry while some of them have been languishing in prison. These prison-mates are enjoying their own kind of holiday.
Goa, however, is having bumpy ride along potholed roads. One is not sure where the state is heading, though one is sure that all Goans want Goa to be the best and show the rest of India that’s the state, small as it is, can stand tall and mighty, economically and socially. But Goa’s journey to the realization of its goal is like passing through those dark tunnels that one encounters on a train journey from Mumbai to Goa. It takes long to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
There are often questions why Goans, especially Catholics, are abandoning their land and landing in Swindon in large numbers. The second stop, or rather a pit-stop, is the Middle East, from where many jump across the Atlantic to Canada. When I was in Goa some months ago, I was often asked by my friends’ adult children how to get to Canada or the USA. No doubt many are applying and some are succeeding. The point I am making is that these young Goans want to leave Goa though the ministers and social activists are shouting that the empty places of deserting Goans are being taken over by those from the other states.
Goa has seen some of the ethnic tension, which gripped other states very strongly, and many Goans have vocally or by writing said unkind things such as “ghantis” or mockingly called the outsiders “binknakas”. Unfortunately, these “outsiders” are treated as “garbage” by many Goans. The current refugee crisis in Europe highlights the problems of those who are looking for a better life elsewhere when the situation in their own countries is dangerous or not encouraging enough to live and stay there.
There are die-hard Goans who may say that come what may they will stick in Goa till are dead. Each one has a choice to stay or to leave. No doubt Goa will live. In a line-up at a phone shop counter, one Goan said to me that Goa is only for Goans. When I asked him how he knows I am not Goan, he kept quiet. Luckily, his wife shut his trap.
The mining crisis has taken a toll. The closure of mines have brought dark clouds over mining-dependent families. Some may say that the mining closure brought a sense of responsibility on the part of the government, with the courts moving into action. They hope that at least it would help regulate the industry that was running amock with utter disregard to the environment.
It was nevertheless a tough lesson and I hope, as many do, it will put the industry on the right track. Mining has been the backbone of Goa’s economy. Tourism is the new engine but it cannot sustain Goa in the way as mining has done.
If tourism is to overtake mining in boosting Goa economically, the tourism industry must do some course correction. Tourism should be put on sound lines. The coastal side of Goa has been ruined to an extent that one is not surprised at how the local MLAs jostle with each other for upmanship. Each one blames the other. In the mix are the panchayat members who are aligned with opposing sides. The Rahejas conflict is a case in point.
Casinos may be bringing money to fill in Goa’s coffers. It doesn’t matter if its “tainted money”, it’s money alright for running the state. It’s another thing that some money could be allegedly siphoned off into the pockets of the elected representatives. Not all of the MLAs and ministers are squeaky clean.
When he was tourism minister, Dr. Wilfred de Souza, who died recently, told me that he would love Goa to be filled with high-quality and high-spending tourists and not the “backpackers” that till today fill Goa’s hotels. His dream died with him and can only come true if the government, the present and to come, drive the state upwards to meet the dream goal that Dr. Willy dreamt up. If Goa succeeds in this respect, it would be a lasting memory to the late CM’s memory.
The JICA case has so far shown that Goa is wallowing in muck, just as its favourite animal – pig.
(Eugene Correia is a senior journalist)
