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Rock music show on the embers of a flattened red light district >From Pamela D'Mello asianage at sancharnet.in Panaji, Nov 19:A former red light district would have been an unlikely venue for a music concert a few months ago. But since a brutal monsoon demolition of Goa's only red light district, event organisers are preparing to host a music extravanganza on Baina beach in the port town of Vasco da Gama. Thirty musicians from the city and abroad are being requisitioned to belt out Beatles and Rolling Stones hits in a "those were the days" concert. Organisers say they want to evoke nostaligic memories of the 'sixties, when townspeople still used Baina beach before it became a prostitution den. Long time resident of Vasco city -- the state's most populous, crammed with naval, port,industrial facilities and shanties -- have long harboured a grudge against the red light district for putting its lone sea shore out of bounds for residents. "We want to reclaim the beach and get people to use it for family evenings out as they once did," says organiser Franky Fernandes, who has roped in the local council to clean the area before the November 21 show. Earlier the state adminstration got flak for rendering homeless hundreds of daily wage migrants from Karnataka and neighbouring states in a swift operation in mid-June, when the monsoons had already struck. The adminstration offered temporary shelters to evictees and some compensation, while neigbouring Karnataka lodged strong protests over the demolition. Local townspeople however lauded the state government, and took a rally to celebrate the clearance (ends)
