A pre-sunrise drive took me through the villages of Bardez all the way to Siolim and then to Morjim. Before I even got out of Miramar, it was shocking to see the beach and the road taken over by Biharis for their chhat puja. Who gave the mandate for this demographic transformation of Goa? Is this “democracy”? The Wokes only love “democracy” when it suits their agenda.
I get to Goa every 6-9 months. And yet every time I come back the delta-degradation is noticeable. Bardez is already a goner. You can imagine what will happen to the whole of North Goa, away from the coastline, once Mopa is up and running. Some days ago, Frederick Noronha unintentionally provided me the opportunity to briefly talk about my photographic work in Goa. With me today was a good friend (a bhailo, by the way) who sometimes came along on my early morning shoots in the years past. He noticed that the photographic compositions we acquired during those years have now evaporated, the framing no longer possible. The sights are gone for good, rudely interrupted by ugly concrete or destroyed altogether. This makes the imagery of Goa I have banked even more valuable purely from a documentary, let alone aesthetic, point of view. Of value to me and a few others. Most of the wider Goan population does not care. But my greatest prize is the satisfaction that came from being out in the field, and that I was able to engage in this wonderful enterprise without any constraints. For these blessings I thank God every single day. Best, r
