Came across this article of Goa that you may be interested to read As Goans the following article is a must to read. >> Goa has been re-colonised not only by the Brits, Russians >> and the Israelis but also by the bold and the beautiful and >> the rich and powerful from other parts of the country. >> By RAJAN NARYAN > >> A FEW days ago the sarpanch of Morjim investigated >> complaints that a Russian national, who had bought property >> on the border of Morjim and Arambol, had blocked the >> traditional access to the beach. The security guards of the >> Russian national who had fenced the traditional access to >> the beach assaulted the sarpanch. The sarpanch has lodged a >> police complaint against the security guards who assaulted >> him. This is not an isolated case. There are large areas of >> Morjim, particularly in Vithaldas-wadi, which have been >> totally colonized by the Russians. >> Locals are not allowed to enter any of the properties which >> are fenced off and guarded by armed security guards. >> Russians, who have bought huge amounts of property in >> Morjim and other villages in the North Goa coastal belt, >> have built massive structures within 500 metres of the High >> Tide Line in flagrant and blatant violation of the CRZ >> Rules. The Chief Secretary told me on Monday that the Goa >> Coastal Zone Management Authority that is presided over by >> him intends to crack down on foreigners who have violated >> the CRZ Rules. > >RUSSIAN INVASION > I recall visiting the Olive Ridley shack on the Morjim >> beach over five years ago. The shack then was owned by a >> Polish woman. There was already talk that Russians had >> begun buying large amounts of property in Morjim. On a >> subsequent visit to Morjim, I saw a shack in the middle of >> the beach less than ten metres from the High Tide Line >> which was festooned with Russian flags. I heard stories of >> all-night rave parties by Russians and saw the debris of >> the previous night's party on the beach. >> But it is not only in Morjim that foreigners have bought >> large amounts of beachfront property. If Morjim is >> dominated by Russians, Chapora is dominated by the >> Israelis. Several parts of the Palolem beach in Canacona >> have also been colonised by the Israelis. But the largest >> numbers of foreign citizens who have bought property in Goa >> are not the Russians or Israelis, but the British. Indeed on >> the road leading to Calangute from the St. Alex Church there >> is even a real estate agency which proudly advertises the >> fact that it is British-owned and only sells property to >> Brits and other foreign nationals. > >> BI-LINGUAL MENUS >> OVER the Holi week, which coincided with the Holy Week, I >> happened to spend the weekend at a small rural resort in >> Carmona close to the Fatrade beach. I had occasion or >> provocation to have a look at all the shacks between >> Fatrade and Mobor. The overwhelming majority of the shacks >> were full of phirangs. In the shacks on the Cavelossim >> beach, I saw a wild Holi celebration on with gallons of >> bhang (opium). The revellers were all Russians. On the >> tables of many of the shacks, menus were not in English, >> but Russian. I have seen menus in Hebrew in several beach >> shacks in Chapora and in Palolem. I have never come across >> a menu in any Indian language let alone the official >> language of the state, Konkani in any beach shack anywhere >> in Goa . Even though a large number of domestic tourists >> visit Goa . >> I very often have occasion to visit many of the starred >> hotels in Goa located both on the North Goa beach belt and >> the South Goa beach belt for some function or the other. In >> the last two or three years, whenever I have visited beach >> resorts, particularly in the Southern coastal belt, >> stretching from Majorda to Mobor, I have noticed that the >> details of the various activities planned for the benefit >> of foreign tourists - including charter tourists - >> displayed on the activity boards are increasingly in >> Russian. Depending on the nationality that the hotel is >> catering to, the activity boards can be even in German or >> Hebrew for the benefit of the large number of German abd >> Israeli tourists who visit Goa . > > NIGHT BAZAAR >> GOA has been colonized by phirangs and the signs of their >> colonial domination of Goa are everywhere, particularly on >> the beach belt. The largest and the most successful night >> bazaar in Goa is not run by a Goan or even by an Indian, >> but by a German called Ingo. During the Bazaar you can see >> Ingo with two armed bodyguards going around collecting the >> rentals from those who have taken stalls. I do not know if >> the bodyguards who accompany Ingo have licenses for the >> weapons that they openly brandish. The majority of the >> stalls, particularly the food stalls at Ingo's Saturday >> Nite Bazaar are run by phirangs of various nationalities. A >> lot of the material sold at the Saturday night bazaar is >> imported. I do not know whether they have been imported >> into the country legally and whether any of the foreigners >> doing roaring business at the Saturday night market have >> business visas. Tourists - whether white, brown or black - >> who come on tourist visas are not allowed to work in Goa . >> Thanks to my better three-quarters' fascination with >> exotic food I often get dragged, reluctantly, to little >> known restaurants. Restaurants which are run by phirangs >> for phirangs. Just recently I visited an Italian restaurant >> tucked away in the lanes of the village of Anjuna in the >> garden of an old Goan house which is run by an Italian lady >> and is patronized entirely by phirangs. I am told it is a >> favourite of the Italians. Tara and I were the only locals >> at the restaurant at the time we went there. The oldest and >> the best known among the restaurants which are owned by >> phirangs for the benefit of phirangs are the Lila Café and >> Bean Me Up. The few times I have gone there I have only seen >> phirangs. > >> ANTI-LOCAL > THERE are pubs in the North Goa beach belt which are run by >> Brits for Brits. Even some of the shacks on both the North >> and South Goa coastal belt are openly hostile not only to >> locals but even domestic tourists. On the odd occasion when >> I have approached a beach shack for renting a beach bed and >> an umbrella, I have been rudely told that they are only for >> phirangs or that they have been reserved. Many beach shacks >> treat locals and domestic tourists like untouchables. >> But it is not only the phirangs including the Russians and >> the Israelis and the British and the Germans who have >> colonized Goa . As phirang friends of mine point out, Goa >> has been invaded in a much bigger fashion by the bold and >> the beautiful and the rich and the powerful from Delhi and >> Mumbai and other parts of the country who are steadily >> pushing up the prices of real estate out of the reach of >> locals. All the fancy apartments and the villas advertised >> on the internet and at exclusive Goa property exhibitions >> held by the Times of India and other organizations have >> prices often quoted in dollars and pounds. Presumably >> because the real estate sharks who have taken over Goa know >> that Goans cannot afford to buy property any longer. > > HERITAGE PROPERTY >> MANY of the old ancestral homes in Goa have been sold to >> foreigners and non Goans because their owners cannot afford >> to maintain them any longer. In many cases of course there >> are so many claimants to the ancestral house that >> everybody's property becomes nobody's property and >> no one is willing to bear the cost of maintaining old >> houses. So most owners of ancestral property take the easy >> way out and sell it to outsiders including foreign >> nationals. But the largest owner of property, particularly >> old sprawling restored ancestral homes in Goa are not >> phirangs or the bold and beautiful and the rich and >> powerful from Mumbai and New Delhi . There are of course the >> Vijay Mallayas and the Jimmy Gazdars and the Jaipuryas who >> have bought or built huge mansions on the beach belt. But >> the property king in terms of the largest amount of real >> estate owned by a single individual is a Kashmiri who owns >> Sangolda House. His most recent acquisition is Souto Maior >> House in Ribandar. Also, half the shops in the five star >> and seven star hotels have been leased by this Kashmiri who >> claims to be a major carpet exporter and goes by the name of >> Mir. >> In the last few years, a lot of new real estate has come up >> in Goa - premium properties which offer goodies like 24-hour >> power generation backup, a swimming pool, a fitness centre >> and video telephone for security. Many of the new projects >> like the one being constructed by the Geras in Caranzalem >> also promise rooftop gardens. While attempting to do some >> futile flat hunting - since it is absurd to even look for a >> flat in Panjim with less than a crore of rupees, I >> discovered that less than 30% of the flats in all the fancy >> new buildings are occupied. The flats have either been >> bought by outsiders or bought purely for speculative >> offices in the hope or the confidence that real estate >> prices will go up even further. > >PARADISE PIE > EVERYONE wants a piece of the paradise that Goa is >> perceived to be. The phirangs do not mind the fancy prices >> in the shacks or the fancy prices of real estate because, >> in foreign exchange terms and compared to prices of >> property back home or in any other beach resort in the >> world, the prices of real estate or of food or drink in Goa >> is much cheaper. The Mumbaikar does not mind the high prices >> of property in Goa because even in the distant suburb of >> Virar in Mumbai or in Thane, the prices of property range >> between Rs. 60,000 and Rs. One lakh per square foot against >> Rs. 60,000 to Rs. 1.5 lakhs per sq m in Goa . So much so, it >> makes sense for those who have property in up market or >> even in down market areas in the metros to sell their >> property and relocate to Goa and live on the difference >> between the money they got for selling their property in >> Goa and the money they paid for their property purchased in >> Goa . For those who are faced with the prospect of paying >> thousands of rupees for square feet and square centimetres, >> Goa is a very attractive proposition whether for a second >> holiday home or just as an investment. And the fact that >> Goan hotels have kept hiking their prices to ridiculous >> levels makes it even more attractive to own a holiday home >> in Goa . >> Goa has been totally colonized. The beaches have been >> colonized. The premium real estate has been colonized by >> land sharks from Russia and the UK and Germany and Dubai >> and of course our own home grown land sharks like the >> Rahejas. Goan jobs, particularly jobs in the hospitality >> industry have been colonized by young people from Nagaland >> courtesy the Governor and his OSD and for people from >> Jharkand courtesy the Pilar society and people from Orissa >> courtesy all those who run security agencies and people >> from Gorakhpur who dominate the carpentry business in Goa . >> A time will come when there will be no Goans in Goa . ________________________________ Videos that have everyone talking! Now also in HD! MSN.ca Video. ________________________________ Hotmail: Trusted email with powerful SPAM protection. Sign up now. ________________________________ 30 days of prizes: Hotmail makes your day easier! Enter now ________________________________ The latest auto launches and test drives Drag n' drop -- This message comes via the Google Groups "Saligao-Net" group. 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