From serene Goa to a destination for casino, drugs and prostitution

BY RAJU NAYAK

Goa, which was known for its serene, peaceful beaches and quiet lifestyle was once the jewel in the crown of the Indian tourism sector. This serenity and peace, combined with an Indo-Portuguese cultural fusion, is what set Goa apart from other tourist destinations in the country.

It was these traits that attracted the hippies to Goa, but sadly the state slowly degraded into a vice-filled, overcrowded and raucous destination. This promptly led to the high-end tourists turning their back on the state.

Goa’s image has taken a 180-degree turn and it is the largescale immigration of non-Goans, along with the inefficiency of the Goan politicians, that has led to this situation. The number of domestic tourists has crossed 80 lakh and along with this, the image of the State has also been drastically transformed.

For all Indians, Goa is a haven for casinos, liquor and prostitution. The first things they ask about here is the availability of these. This is the picture of Goa that the domestic tourists have when they come here.

In the alleys of Calangute and Vagator, pimps operate openly, asking tourists, ‘Saab maja karna hai kya?’ (Do you want to have fun?). We have girls’. Most of the hotels in this area have become the hub of such girls. In some places youth are caught red-handed and money is taken from them. In some places third parties are placed before them.

But in most places there literally is a market for girls, where a broker stands on the street with an album in his hand. He is usually a middle-class man wearing jeans, sunglasses shading his eyes and a hat, sifting through the album.

Most of the beaches in Goa are currently becoming notorious dens of prostitution and this has now spread from the coast to well-populated, important urban areas, where it takes places in rented flats.

Arun Pandey, the head of ‘ARZ’ organization says, "When you say that you are offering cheap liquor, then perverted tourists will come to the state. Along with cheap liquor, drugs are also widely sold in Goa. Now, this combination will lead to prostitution businesses."

When a country issues a warning that Goa’s coastline is dangerous for family tourists as well as peace-loving citizens, the sane citizens of Goa have to immediately heed the hard-to-digest warning, he said and added, "Pre-Liberation Baina was a prostitution hub in Goa. We Goans considered it to be a blemish on the image of Goa. Late Manohar Parrikar, in his first tenure as CM, ad demolished this ghetto, but instead of terminating prostitution, it spread to other parts of the state, and from the ghetto it reached posh residential societies."

In Goa, not only are girls and women from Maharashtra, Bengal, Delhi involved in prostitution but they also come from countries like Nepal, Bangladesh, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Nigeria. The Goa government has played its role in this. Police officers canvass for transfers in the beach belt. Their wish is granted when they pay up for it.

This has directly led to a nexus between the pimps and the police, wherein no action is taken. The Tourism Policy designed by Goa government is taking the state towards a Bangkok-style tourism. The high-end tourists that preferred Goa are now travelling to destinations like Maldives and Vietnam.

On entering Goa the first thing one sees are casino hoardings. In the capital city of Panjim across the Mandovi river there is a huge hoarding of pan masala welcoming tourists.

This sets the tone for the quality of tourists we are seeking. Pan masala will invite tourists with a certain attitude, hence they search for girls. Goa was once serene and peaceful, but now it’s dominated by casinos, drugs and prostitution.

(The writer is Editor – Director, Gomantak Media)