Every vacation was fun in the past for Goans. It was all about picnics and family get-togethers. And picnics meant going to the beach, bathing and having a great time. Families would carry containers with pulao, sorpotel, salad and, of course, beer to beat the heat. The ladies too would enjoy their share of shandy (a mix of beer and Limca/Sprite).
Finding the perfect spot with shade and nothing blocking the salty fresh breeze and the beautiful view was on everyone’s mind. Arriving at the picnic spot early was, therefore, important.
Most local families also had the tradition of taking a dip in the sea water for health benefits. The beaches back then were pristine and peaceful.
Over the years, Goa sought new ways to increase its revenue and that saw a rise in the tourism sector. Calangute, for one, saw a sea change in its environment. The once empty beach saw the mushrooming of shacks in the plentiful and coconut trees that provided shade were cut down to give way to a parking lot. This spelt the death of the Goan picnic tradition in Calangute.
THE TAKEOVER OF CALANGUTE BEACH
As the shore was taken over by shacks and the sea by water sports, families in Calangute had no place to picnic. Goans, unfortunately, did nothing to arrest the change, being afraid as they were of rocking the boat. The plenitude of tourists frequenting the beach was deterrent enough to having any more picnics in the style of the old days.
A few friends who live in Calangute report that they haven’t set foot in Calangute beach for decades. They shoot out a list of reasons. One that stands out was a female friend’s plight. A local from Calangute, she says when they once went to the beach, she was ogled by a group of drunk men.
NO LONGER A SAFE HAVEN
Calangute locals no longer feel safe in what was once a sanctuary of bliss. Feeling unsafe in your own village can be difficult and nerve-wracking, especially if you are the father of a 22-year-old girl. Though he knows his daughter well, he doesn’t trust the loiterers on the road. He makes sure that his daughter arrives home by 7 pm latest. Any later and the persistent phone calls begin.
SANDS OF POLLUTION
Another reason why Calangutkars don’t like going to the beach is that the colour of the sand has changed drastically. The once beautiful beach with white sand now has brown sand in its place.
It’s not just the colour of the sand on the beach, but also how polluted it gets with empty and broken bottles, besides other filth.
OVERCROWDED AND UNSAFE
In the days before New Year celebrations start, Calangute beach is packed with tons and tons of tourists. It's not just the beach that suffers from congestion, but also the roads leading to the beach. This puts off any Goan wanting to visit the place. Why would you go just to be ogled and, worse, also groped?
FINDING A NEW DESTINATION
If you ask the locals where they go for their picnics, it’s no longer on the beach in Calangute, but to some untouched beach in South Goa or a poolside picnic spot.
While Calangute is a popular tourism spot, it is also home to Goans. Conditions must change to develop tourism and safeguard the living situation of Goans. Solutions need to be found to allow locals and tourists alike to watch the sunset together.