Dear Netters, This is an interesting piece from the Goan Observer. The IRTE has also begun its campaign on drunken driving. It is only the law that is forced to talk about helmets....for the sake of 5 marks to a few students of law [ L.L.B.] that they are eligible for every PIL admitted. C'est la vie. Gain some,lose some....and never have it all! THE WORLD MAKES A BEELINE FOR GOA
IN THE MONTH of December, all the world makes a beeline for Goa. I am quite wiling now to believe that this is an exceptionally good tourist season. All the Russians may not have turned up. But domestic tourists seem to have made up for their shortfall. In fact, despite all the claims to the contrary, there seem to be more domestic tourists in Goa at the moment than foreign tourists. All the domestic tourists seem to have descended on Goa for Christmas cheer. For imbibing the spirit of Christmas. Regrettably, the domestic tourists seem to be far more interested in the spirituality of the bottled kind. Never have I seen so many drunken tourists. The problem is the combination of the image of Goa that has been projected as a hedonistic paradise coupled with the availability of cheap liquor. Domestic tourists obviously swear by Ogden Nash's dictum. Candy is dandy, but liquor is quicker. Not that Goans do not imbibe of the spirit that cheers as it inebriates. But most Goan friends of mine are aghast at any comparison with the ghantis. All my Goan friends pride themselves on their capacity to hold their liquor. With my Goan friends it does not stop at two or three large pegs. They have to kill the bottle. What has always worried me is that my Goan friends think nothing of driving long distances with their personal tanks as full as or fuller than the tanks of their vehicles. Whenever Goan friends come visiting and blithely drive off, bidding a cheerful adieu, I worry whether they will either kill themselves or at least, become unwitting cow slaughterers. Not that Goans do not revere the cow. But what does one do if there is a black cow parked in the middle of a road on a dark unlit night? In fact, a colleague of mine is so paranoid about cattle, that she takes a detour whenever she sees any bovine on the road. And it is also a myth that Goans do not get disorderly when they get drunk. It is high time the laws on driving under the influence are implanted strictly. No exceptions for the Christmas season. I have been dwelling on liquor because large quantities of liquor are consumed during the Christmas season. Part of the Christmas ritual is to go calling on friends and relatives. And, of course, it is considered excessively impolite to refuse the offer of a little libation. I believe that one needs to leave the bottled variety of spirituality alone and concentrate a little more on the genuine spirit of Christmas. Yes, I know Christmas is a season of good cheer. That Christmas is a time for celebration and jubilation. But what we seem to forget is that Christmas is also a time for loving and sharing and giving and forgiving and forgetting. Christmas is a time for demonstrating Christian compassionate charity. Did the Lord not say Love thy neighbour as thyself? So can we put away the koita in the attic, at least for the Christmas season. And let the genuine spirit of forgiveness infuse our total being. Rajan Narayan. Viva Goa. Miguel ########################################################################## # Send submissions for Goanet to [EMAIL PROTECTED] # # PLEASE remember to stay on-topic (related to Goa), and avoid top-posts # # More details on Goanet at http://joingoanet.shorturl.com/ # # Please keep your discussion/tone polite, to reflect respect to others # ##########################################################################
