Political parties and people have been aghast at the recent incident at St Cruz. But, law and order in Goa is sure to deteriorate, as joblessness and wages cuts increase. In fact, the police must realise that they are in for a spurt in thefts, robberies, assaults and cheatings, as people struggle to make ends meet, during and after the pandemic subsides.
For a long time, people have been anticipating that Goa is going the way of many States, where there is neither law nor order. Incidents like the one in St Cruz will continue to grow because the goons generally enjoy the patronage and support of the politicians and hence do not fear consequences. In the past, the very name of one politician in South Goa, who is still around, would instil fear in people. But our voters continue electing such characterless people, despite their chameleon nature, as their greed for money never ends. We also recall the activities of the 1980s and 1990s of gangsters in and around St Cruz, also linked to a politician. Both in the North and a little less now in South, politicians have been using goons and bouncers to advance their own agendas. We saw them at many places, in Tiracol, around the SGPDA market, in the mining areas, etc. Many activists have suffered at the hands of agents of politicians, for rightly opposing their plans detrimental to people. The politician involved in the attack to Panjim Police Station has been rewarded with a very lucrative post and absolved of all his misdeeds.
But while blaming the politicians for this state of affairs, one cannot absolve the police and their head, the Home Minister, of being greatly responsible for turning Goa into a lawless State. No doubt, the entire country is, and one can still consider Goa as being one of the most orderly and peaceful States in comparison to others. We have still not reached the stage, but may not be far from, where people walk into banks and place the revolver on the manager’s table before they can even ask for a loan.
Perhaps, like it happens in Goa, the Police are afraid of acting tough against gangsters, as they fear for their own lives. Have we forgotten the Nigerian incident, where our police were no match for those aggressive men? The police have not realised that by acting soft on the goons, they are inviting trouble for themselves, as cases will keep increasing and the situation will get out of control. The police often pretend to be under orders of politicians, but that is not the case always. It is the police themselves, who are close to these goons, for reasons that are not difficult to guess. The police have been accused of being associated with drug peddlers and going soft on parties, where drugs and narcotics are used freely. The police will have to act ruthlessly against the gangsters if Goans have to continue to live in peace and tranquillity and Goa to be an orderly State.
