Goa: Paradise lost?
MURALI GOPALAN - Business Line, The Hindu
Time virtually stands still in Goa which is the best piece of news to anyone
who wants a break from his/her hectic routine in the city.December 23, 2011:
Goa celebrated its 50th year of liberation on December 19. However, these are
not the best of times for India's favourite tourist spot which has been making
the news for all the wrong reasons, especially the mining scam.
Goa faces a host of challenges in the coming years. Builders are making a
furious beeline for the State and, in the process, property prices have soared.
This rapid concretising could also pose a grave threat to the environment and
observers believe the damage caused could be irreparable if remedial measures
are not taken soon.
To old timers, this marks an unwelcome invasion of their quiet little paradise
which is disintegrating into an ugly urban sprawl. From the average tourist's
point of view, this is the ultimate paradise with its large beaches and
unending supplies of liquor. Rooms are blocked months in advance for Christmas
and New Year celebrations, and the coming days will be no different either.
However, under this serene layer is a volcano that could just erupt any moment.
The mining scam clearly exposed the seamy and ugly side of a system where
people were willing to do anything to make a fast buck. The idea of a happy
tourist destination being ravaged for its riches was shocking to lovers of Goa.
The bigger fear is that this will continue to happen if unchecked which will
leave today's paradise in a shambles tomorrow.
To those who have been living in Goa for decades, this is nothing short of a
horror story. These people like the place for its cleanliness and peace. Time
virtually stands still in Goa which is the best piece of news to anyone who
wants a break from his/her hectic routine in the city.
Nobody spoke of ‘outsiders' years ago since everyone was welcome in Goa.
However, with the kind of money people are coughing up to buy lavish
properties, the divide between the super-rich and the locals has only widened
over the years. There are fears that this will lead to more crimes especially
when jobs are getting hard to come by in a tough slowdown period.
The cynics are convinced it is a matter of time before Goa loses its charm and
becomes another dirty, overcrowded place. The more hopeful believe this is a
bad phase which will gradually pass over. Goa surely deserves better.
Otherwise, its golden jubilee celebrations are nothing short of a cruel joke.
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