No More Prizes, Please!
Whenever a government in power in Goa speaks of development they invariably also speak against NGOs and others who are concerned about the quality of the environment and express their opinions on the topic. The people who criticize the government - BJP or Congress - are branded as critics who are against the welfare of the State. Now, is this fair criticism? The government and MLAs need to change their mindset. What exactly are the priorities of governments? Development - the magic word - usually means building new concrete structures everywhere while ignoring the preservation of the environment and balance of the eco-system. Why can't development also mean the right of the people of Goa to breathe in clean air, drink unpolluted water, travel on roads without potholes, no noise pollution which makes it difficult for students to study during the period of exams, no selling of illegal drugs, no prostitution in our neighborhoods, and other negatives. A lot of people in Goa no doubt could add to this list. Goa continues to win tourism awards, year after year. Now, this is an embarrassment for us Goans as the piling up of garbage, bad air and polluted wells, unwanted gambling casinos in our rivers, all provide damning circumstantial evidence of this and previous governments' slaughter of our environment. Are tourists and others happy with this dismal scenario? Can we really invite tourists to a clean Goa? Unfortunately, not a lot of positive examples of development can be seen today. In 1961, few if not very few places in Goa were dirty. Now it is there all over Goa for all to see. All, that is, except the people who distribute tourism awards to our State. Every time our environment is damaged even more do we get an award? The logic of giving Goa awards, I'm afraid, borders on mysticism. Please stop embarrassing us Goans. If you do stop giving us these awards then we might be able to begin a meaningful discussion on the topic of destruction, development and welfare of the people of and State of Goa. Until then, no more accolades, please. Spare us the embarrassment.
