PANJIM: At first, the government acts tough, but right at the end it is always a happy ending. Citizens are of the view that when the “ATM starts functioning, Sunburn also starts functioning”.
The citizens and activists on Sunday said that the Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte’s statement that the government will not ‘dance’ to tunes of the Sunburn promoter is ‘just to increase the bargaining power’.
They claimed that the government deliberately grants last minute permission to the promoter to hold the ‘Sunburn’ as it wants to stop the citizens from raising their voice against the violations of the law of the land to facilitate such events. “When the ATM starts functioning, Sunburn also starts functioning,” a Calangute resident told O Heraldo on condition of anonymity.
When contacted, political analyst Trajano D’Mello said, “The statement of the Tourism Minister that the government will not dance to the tune of the EDM organisers is just to increase its bargaining power if past facts are the indication.When the loud music was a nuisance to the people, where was the Tourism Minister and his government?”
Trajano said, “The High Court had to intervene. When permissions were given without recovering previous dues, it was I who rushed to the court to see that no permissions were granted without dues being cleared by the EDM organisers. As such, I was instrumental in recovering crores of rupees to the government treasury.”
“True, the government may not dance to the tune of organisers but once their demands are met, they go to sleep,” Trajano remarked.
Activist Sabina Martins claimed that the government deliberately grants last minute permission to the promoter to hold the ‘Sunburn’ Electronic Dance and Music (EDM) festival as it wants to stop the citizens from raising their voice against the violations of the law of the land to facilitate such events.
“It has been happening over the years. Till the last minute they don’t give permission and that has been a strategy because the minute they give permission then they know citizens will move Court against sound and CRZ violations or there is drugs…whatever. On many counts these parties become illegal…you are allowing violations and what they do is last minute they give the permission and by the time you want to take any action the event is over,” said Martins.
She further said, “If you see this event generates revenue, but as far as I remember they owed the government so much money. And they never paid up. So, one is revenue and the other is violations. And my main concern is that if the government says that they are against drug trafficking and controlling narcotics then why do they allow this event when there is a general impression that these are drug parties? So why are we allowing drug parties?”
Martins alleged that the rise in thefts and dacoity cases in Goa are as a result of the government’s ‘drugs, alcohol and gambling policy’.
“The addiction to drugs and alcohol among youth is very high and this addiction has affected the human resources very badly. It is not just the question of morality. I see the sedation of youth is taking place, who would have channelised their energy in protecting and saving Goa,” Martins said.
Reacting to the Tourism Minister’s discontent that the ‘Goan Village’ was not properly displayed at Vagator last year, event organiser Lyndon Alves said, “It was a last minute decision by the government to set up the ‘Goan Village’. EDM organisers plan the festival much in advance. Also, EDM festivals in the world have no local stage. International events cannot have a ‘Goan stage’.”
