Paradise Lost is John Milton’s epic poem. It is about Satan who was one of the top angels in heaven; who, with the pride of his heart, he thought he was as wise as god and was god himself. Satan and his angels rebelled against God and they fell from heaven to hell. Paradise Lost is also about how Adam and Eve were driven out of the Garden of Eden, also called Paradise; forced out, because they ate the forbidden fruit disobeying God.
Goa had also earned the sobriquet as ‘a corner of the Garden of Eden’ because of its pearly sands, emerald seas, topaz mountains, winding rivers, fertile fields; various valleys, other water bodies; and coconut groves majestically swaying along its coastline. It has been a home to a diverse range of flora and fauna. The world’s wildlife admirers and nature lovers come here every year. Its scenic beauty always manages to attract people throughout the year. Goa had been the epitome of peace and tranquility; a home of religious harmony and symbol of unity in diversity.
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But now the surrounding does not have that sylvan look of past years. Greedy souls of earthly wealth have turned our fields into huge concrete jungle. Our verdant hills and forests are raped, and sand dunes protecting our coastlines on our virgin beaches have been damaged; the marine biodiversity is stagnated with pollution. There has been mismanagement of our resources and deforestation in lieu of development.
Outsiders pour in for work; for leisure and pleasure. Thus drugs; gang wars and prostitution have mushroomed and have eroded moral fabric among our youth. Our daughters are been raped and nobody bothers as majority of us commit the sin ‘Of indifference’ with the words: “Mhaka Kiteak Poddlam.” We sing and dance as our hills are butchered and our forests are raped; our riversides and marine biodiversity are strangulated and stagnated with pollution. Our peacefulness has been shattered with anti-social elements.
Goans have moved away from their Homes that were built with the sweat and blood of their ancestors. — They have gone away from corruption and favouritism. It has been a brain drain in Goa but it has been a gain to the places where they go in search of greener pastures. But though Goans have gone out of Goa in search of better prospect, you can’t get Goa out of them.
Of course, nothing ever remains the same. Goa is no exception. Since liberation in December 1961, the rural landscape, everything has changed almost dramatically.
But the present day Goan youth have grown up witnessing violence. It reminds me of Dante’s Inferno, of nine circles which Dante explores; where the entrance to hell is marked by a grim message: “Through me you pass into the grievous city, into eternal pain, among the lost people …” and I ask myself if Goa has turned to be a hell on earth — a hell for the common men and women. The need for tourism growth and overall development is understandable. But can it be at the cost of degradation of moral values, environmental disaster and ecological damage? By looking at the present state of affairs I can only say, God save our Goa.
