This has reference to the report ‘Taxi permit for Lamani creates chaos in Benaulim’ (Herald, 18 December). I am not sure if it was written from a point of ignorance or sheer bias in favour of the Taxi Association, and would like to take this opportunity to make you and the ‘Team’ aware of the true facts.
Your statement that the Lamani community were ‘asked’ to close their shops and businesses is far from the truth, in fact these business people were threatened by thugs who made it clear that if they did not immediately close their shops they would be ‘burnt out’.
The implication of this threat is far reaching, many of the said shops have apartments inhabited by European/Russians and peoples from all over the world who come here to spend a peaceful time, and are indeed living under the threat of terrorism in their own countries of residence.
As a European traveler/tourist who has been to Benaulim most years in the past twenty five and have had dealings with and come to know many Lamani traders and also many taxi drivers in Benaulim I can say in all honesty that the Lamani people are hard working, polite and fastidiously clean, from what I hear from Goan friends they also pay their rents on time. Your article makes a point in an accusing manner of the fact that the Lamanis sell at a profit, from my own experience some taxi drivers charge extortionate rates if given the chance, not one of the visiting tourist/travelers I have consulted in the past hours hasn’t a story of such an instance, I see this as a little of the pot calling the kettle black and it certainly has no relevance to the true nature of this dispute.
I have consulted with other visitors from other countries and we have decided that we too are threatened by these possible terrorist acts and we are prepared to act as one in sending urgent emails to our embassies and travel agents to make them aware that it is possible that the threat to the safety of travellers to Benaulim is very real, and they should consider taking action to make all people heading for this destination conscious and be prepared to offer accommodation elsewhere in future.
This year has already seen the decline of numbers of visitors to Benaulim, our actions will no doubt add to them.
I understand there is a meeting today at the Panchayat where it will be put to the Lamani who has the taxi permit that the matter will only be resolved if he rescinds this permit, The outcome of this blackmail is unknown, what is certain is that we the tourist/travelers are the hand that feeds the taxi drivers.
