PANJIM: The Hindu Janajagruti Samiti (HJS) has urged the government not to grant final permission for the upcoming Electronic Dance Music (EDM) festival ‘Sunburn Klassique’ citing various drug-related incidents including deaths of two youth in the past.
Addressing a press conference in Panjim on Monday, Dr Manoj Solanki of the HJS, alleged that the EDM festival will encourage and impresses western ill-influences in the society, while also reminding the parent organizer of defaulting payment to the government.
“The western influence thereby makes it ‘pleasure-seeking’ and immoral! It is destroying the Hindu culture and spoiling the name of Goa and Goans. The organizers of ‘Sunburn Festival’ have defaulted on government revenue and taxes for the past many years and had organized this festival in Pune. This year, this tax-defaulting festival is once again coming back to Goa,” he said demanding that government doesn’t allow the festival in Goa.
Solanki also claimed that the festival has been embroiled in drug-related controversies. He stated that Sunburn has a controversial background as the police and the anti-drugs squads have witnessed consumption of drugs at the event although organizers claim it to be a drug-free event.
He also stated that Sunburn, which was hosted in Pune committed grave malpractices such as concealing revenue from sale of tickets and defaulted on taxes to be paid to the Maharashtra government besides other unlawful practices.
“The HJS appeals to the Tourism Minister and the Chef Minister to withdraw permission to this festival and preserve the sanctity of the sacred land of Goa. The HJS also appeals to the government to penalize ‘Sunburn’ and recover the tax amount defaulted with interest,” he added.
