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Documented by Goa Desc Resource Centre Ph:2252660
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Better Security Needed For Tourist Season
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by Nandkumar Kamat
The tourist season has begun in Goa with a trickle. It promises to see a
boom around the Christmas and new year festivities. More chartered tourist
flights are expected. The number of tourists from Slavic and Scandinavian
countries is likely to increase. Tourists from Israel comprise a large section
with background of active Military service. Goa has also appeared on the
American naval map after the joint exercises with the Indian Navy. It is
an open secret that the government turns a blind eye to verify the
antecedents of the foreigners who carry out trade or business in the tourism
areas. A Norwegian model was deported from the country by the Mumbai
police some months ago. They had maintained surveillance on this item girl
and acted only after verifying the fact that she did not have a business visa.
It would be a challenge for the local foreigners branch to come down heavily
on all those foreigners who still carry business illegally in Goa on a tourist
visa. The locals rise in protest against them only when their economic
interests clash. Otherwise there is a tacit understanding between the
foreigners and the locals. The state government and the village panchayats
in the coastal tourist belt don't have stringent rules to prohibit any illegal
nexus between the foreigners and the locals to carry out any kind of business.
The Nigerian citizens' involvement in the drugs scene is just a tip of the
iceberg.
It points out to the complexity of the international drug trade and the
links which
the international drug mafia has managed to establish with Goa to cater to the
growing needs of the tourism industry. The drug trade is boosted by the
rave party
business. The rave parties are not simple musical evenings.
Psychoactive "dance drugs" are required for experiencing the psychedelic
music.
The entry of "Rohypnol" is another factor which needs to be looked into. It
is listed
abroad as "date rape drug". More worrisome is the possibility of the entry
of the
notorious Russian mafia which deals in almost everything. Its involvement in
international antique smuggling can not be ruled out. As a former Portuguese
colony, Goa is a proven haven for antique smugglers. But very little has been
done by the state government and the ASI to enforce the antiquities act, 1972.
It is going to be a complex and peculiar tourist crowd in Goa which invites a
detail risk perception and threat analysis. Tourism in Goa shed its innocence
decades ago. The industry is crying for better and modern infrastructure,
improved
sanitation and cleanliness.
But it is equally important for the state and central government to focus
seriously
on the security angle. It has to be considered as a miracle that so far Goa
has
not been hit by a terrorist attack in the tourism belt. What is the risk
and threat
perception of the local and national intelligence agencies in this regard? At
micro level what surveillance and pre-emptive steps have been planned? The
Mumbai Police had not considered it necessary to intimate the local police
when
they had arrested notorious international criminal Charles Sobhraj at
Porvorim.
But the crime scene has undergone a transformation after that incident. Global
terrorism has emerged as the biggest headache for the law and order machinery,
uniformly from New York to London and Madrid to Bali. The terrorists don't
need
any excuse or reason to target a particular area and kill innocent people.
Already
genuine fears and apprehensions have been expressed after the recent bombing
incident in Bali, Indonesia. Bali and Goa have many things in common. The most
important factor is the psychedelic music scene. Foreign DJs from Goa are
known
to visit Bali and vice versa. A simple sample monitoring of the Internet
websites
would reveal the nature of this traffic.
The state government needs to engage security and anti terrorism experts to
build
several possible and plausible worst case scenarios which could affect the
tourism
industry. On the basis of risk and threat perception the surveillance can
be improved
and any attempt to create a problem in Goa can be nipped in the bud. The
Italian
government has recently enforced a law which makes it mandatory for any
foreigner
to provide full information before use of Internet is permitted. The owners
of such
communication facilities have been instructed to keep complete records of the
websites visited by the foreigners. Although foreigners have protested
against such
a measure the Italian government has justified this decision as a
preventive security
measure to track the activities of suspected terrorists. What makes the Goa
Police
believe that the Internet facilities in the coastal belt are being used
only for benign
purposes? Paedophilia is still an ugly reality. The Police need to create a
network
of informers and educate the local communities about the precautions to be
taken
when houses are rented to the foreigners. Are the Israeli, British and the
American
tourists safe in Goa? Perhaps Mossad, MI6, and FBI might be able to provide
their
perspective to the Goa Police and the Indian intelligence agencies.
Co-operation
with these agencies would be necessary to protect their travellers.
The message from Bali bombings is loud and clear. International tourist
destinations in South east Asia are becoming the prime targets of the
terrorists.
It is difficult to say whether the Al-Qaida operatives have infiltrated in
Goa. They
would merge with the tourist crowd so intimately that it would be difficult
to trace
them. A single ugly incident, a single bombing is sufficient to scare off
the foreign
tourists. It would permanently spoil the name and the image of Goa as a
peaceful
tourist paradise on earth. It would take many years before Goa would be
able to
regain its status. But the economic losses would be phenomenal. So, it makes
perfect sense to comprehensively.
The simple, unsuspecting village folk in and around the tourist belt have a
right to
live in peace. The valued foreign and domestic visitors also desire the peace.
Without the involvement and participation of the local people the Goa
Police would
not be able to thwart any ugly incident. A drive needs to be launched
without creating
undue fear psychosis to educate the local people and the tourism related
trading,
business and service community. The mass awareness drive needs to focus on the
terrorism risk perception and the role which vigilant people can play in
thwarting any
such attempts. There are many committed and duty conscious officers in Goa
Police
and if the tourist season passes off peacefully then their efforts would be
richly rewarded.
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The Navhind Times 10/10/05 page 8
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GOA DESC RESOURCE CENTRE
Documentation + Education + Solidarity
11 Liberty Apts., Feira Alta, Mapusa, Goa 403 507
Tel: 2252660 mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
website: www.goadesc.org
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Working On Issues Of Development & Democracy
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