The Bible asks us a very pertinent question: For what shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul? This question is for all of us to ask.
Today’s materialistic world thrives on hedonistic pleasures, and in that sense, Goa is losing itself to worldly pursuits. It’s time to dive deep into our inner selves to introspect on the real meaning of our lives. Who are we? Where do we come from? It’s time for Goans to peep deep into their spiritual selves.
Look around, everyone is so engrossed in the daily pursuits of life that they even fail to grasp as to what’s happening in their surroundings and say no to the bad they see. But we have better things to do. Don’t we?
Goa is far removed from the days of the old. It has become a place where people come to experience the wonders of tourism. But in the guise of tourism, a new order is emerging – one which thrives on drugs, prostitution and booze. And, very sadly, some of our Goan stakeholders are openly promoting such vile habits, if not directly, then indirectly.
Look around, everyone is so engrossed in the daily pursuits of life that they even fail to grasp as to what’s happening in their surroundings and say no to the bad they see. But we have better things to do. Don’t we?
Today Goa’s coastal belt cannot get enough of loud music and parties, and, this, is to please our guests who come looking for such worldly extravaganza that gives them a feeling of having visited Goa. That’s the way we have been promoting our land and ourselves.
Everyone wants to be ahead of the pack to make more money, so loud goes the music. It’s a please-all atmosphere and money is proportionate to the loud music a business unit on the coast can play. The law can wait.
And, on the other side there never have been any serious attempts by the State government to look into the fallouts of this kind of tourism. There have been no serious attempts to make sure Goa tourism is cleaned of the morass it has fallen into.
Goa is gradually turning into an amusement park where entertainment, which gives one a high, is guaranteed. The demand is concentrated on the coastal belt for now where all the worldly pleasures are satisfied.
There have been no serious attempts to make sure Goa tourism is cleaned of the morass it has fallen into.
If one talks to the locals in Calangute and Baga, the stories that one will hear will jolt one out of their slumber. These places are facing the pangs of over-tourism, so much so that some of the locals are finding it difficult to live their daily life and their own government is not bothered to address the problems they face.
And now that the festive season is on, the crowds will swell in this tourism belt bringing another set of problem – boorish behaviour of tourists fuelled by drinks. All that the ‘bad’ tourists think about is their holiday, nothing else matters to them because they want their money’s worth from their Goa visit.
We want tourists, that’s a reality, but we want them to behave the way they do. They are free to come and enjoy our scenic beaches and nature, but in a decent manner and not by breaking rules and behaving like animals.
What we need is a different set of rules to deal with tourists who refuse to behave and think of Goa as a free-for-all place. Such guests are better off where they are, Goa doesn’t need them. They can take a holiday elsewhere.
There is a lack of understanding among some tourists that they are entering a place that is religiously and culturally very rich. They should know they are entering the land of Parshuram where atithi devo bhava (guest is god) is held in high esteem. But it is also important that the guests behave like one.