GOA BLOWN AWAY!

GOA BLOWN AWAY BY THE HURRICANE OF GREED

-Bernard Fernandes

10^th Nov 2013

‘BLOWN AWAY’, a caption in the October 2013 issue of National Geographic magazine arrested my attention.  Next to it stood the picture of a snapshot that travelled a distance of 219 miles (352 km) from its owner in Alabama to Tennessee. It was the result of a tornado, and this distance exceeded that of all recorded tornado debris. Throwing light on this phenomenon, a professor who studied the storm debris credits the photo’s record to altitude. The higher the object, the faster and longer a magic carpet rides it! My mind goes to Goa, the land of my ancestors. Goa, very much in the news these days – and for all the wrong reasons - is enjoying a magic, nay, a rough and treacherous ride to the den of the drug mafia lords. It is aided by an altitude that is reaching scary proportions – an altitude called ‘greed’ of corrupt government bodies and politicians, and the powerful drug cartels in the world. 

An insightful article, ‘Inside Report: Sun, sand and the shady drug cartels’, shared on the Facebook page by one of my friends, paints a vivid picture of the shady dealings in Goa. It says that the ‘Goan paradise has become one of the world’s most powerful drug cartels, which is being operated by Russians, Israelis and Nigerians....in their own distinctive styles and is backed by local political interests’.  Calangute, Anjuna, Palolem, Arambol and Morjim are the main places of operation that are identified.  If the reports are believed to be true, the drug trade in Goa is worth Rs. 6,000 crores per year! And I fear this will only rise exponentially!

The recent spate of murders in a once ‘safe’ Goan paradise is alarming.  As a young boy, together with my adventure-crazy friends, I would walk the seashores, scout the streets and climb the hills fearlessly and with gay abandon. No place was out of bounds for a nature loving freak or a comfort seeking traveller. Today, thanks to the land sharks, there are more boundaries and walls than open spaces, more restricted places than natural surroundings; there are more rave than ‘susegad’ parties, more callousness than concern... Good old nature, thankfully, still beckons us. However the enticing call of the seas – add to it air – has sadly turned out to be an attraction for dirty deals of drug trafficking. These serene surroundings have been polluted by the greedy hands of the unchecked drug traders and our opportunistic politicians. The touch of green and the abundance of rich soil may soon be reduced to a trace by the mining barons. The onslaught of profanity, wantonness and avarice are eating into the rich traditional fabric of Goa and its people. 

Oh Goa!  You once looked so graceful, strong and tall. Today, at the mercy of greedy humans, you look so fragile and weak. The events and deals leading to your destruction make us weep and holler angrily.  You are plundered before our very eyes! The government has stopped noticing these things long ago; the enforcement authorities, who noticed everything, have stopped caring.  However, there are legions who desire your safety and beauty.  They are tired of the chicanery. They will continue to protect you and adore you. Like the snapshot blown into oblivion by the tornado but discovered by the rightful owner, you too will one day be returned to your honest and patient lovers. A tall order, Yes; hopeless, No!