Another monsoon is coming to an end and Goa has managed it pretty well -- with the worst fears of floods, around areas where the emphasis was on infrastructure, not coming true -- and with the tourism season set to start soon, life carrying on as usual.
Apart for a spell of a few days of incessant rains, life was as good as normal with tourists from India pouring in, parties playing music beyond permissible decibels, and citizens' complaints about timings falling on deaf ears of the authorities.
Attempts by certain elements to raise communal flares got drenched in the rains, with the majority of people seeing through the game, and the Goan spirit standing out despite cheap manoeuvers to disturb the balance.
When it rained, apart from the noise pollution, the Goa police were adept at unearthing a racket that originated in Gujarat. And, by doing what their counterparts were unable to do, they proved that they are capable -- but only when it suits them.
After Gujarat, the focus fell on the prostitution racket in Vagator. And, it was once again nice to see the men in brown crack open a racket that involved foreigners, and in the bargain, managed to save some girls who were trapped in the flesh trade.
Prostitution is perceived in many ways. But, one of the worst is when the victims are trapped and held in bondage in the way the girls from Kenya were being held in Goa by people from their own country.
It was nice that the police not only saved the girls, but in the process, discovered a wolf in sheep clothing in their own department, who not only had a hand in the racket, but in all probability, played a far greater role. And hence, his immediate transfer.
By transferring the police officer involved, the police are just dusting away the problem and not really trying to solve the problem that erodes the credibility of the police force in Goa.
The police have been seeing blue during the monsoons. And, apart from Vagator, policemen from other police stations were hauled up for dereliction of duty. But, the sign is not good enough to instill confidence.
With a weak police force, or with samplings of weak policemen, we send out a strong message to people thinking of choosing Goa as their holiday destination -- Hullo, the sunshine in Goa can leave you scared!
The start of the new tourist season will signal the start of parties in Goa, or the continuation of parties, with the only difference being that now, they will be held more often and more loudly -- and the locals will have to suffer more.
Parties were organised before, but, were bereft of the noise, today. There were beach parties in the past; there were house parties in the past; there were jungle parties in the past; and there were parties in places like Hill Top, Primrose and even Bamboo forest. And, there was money for all to enjoy, including the police!
Things turned bad when respect for decibels were ignored and a different drug mafia started taking over the market and the lucid turned Lucifer. Slowly, the tourist from abroad, who came to spend a decent time in Goa, began to seek avenues elsewhere.
Parties that were held in selected places are now being held everywhere -- irrespective of whether the area is residential or not -- and, this is because many locals opted to sell or lease their places to individuals from outside the state whose sole motive is to get richer as quickly as possible.
As the tourism season gets an official kick start, those suffering noise pollution -- especially the elderly and small children from the area -- will lay their hopes at the doorstep of the Goa Bench of the Mumbai High Court at Goa because when the administration has failed, it has been the High Court that has come to the rescue of the vulnerable.
“Vulnerability is not weakness. And, the uncertainty, risk and emotional exposure we face every day are not optional. Our only choice is a question of engagement. Our willingness to own and engage with our vulnerability determines the depth of our courage and the clarity of our purpose. The level to which we protect ourselves from being vulnerable is a measure of our fear and disconnection,” Brene Brown once scribbled, and it could just be the way forward after the rains.
