OHeraldo — Jan 4, 2016
Course correction vital for Goa’s economic recovery by Eugene Correia Reflecting on the year that just passed by, I couldn’t help recollecting the term annus horribilis , the Latin phrase that the Queen brought to bear when describing the year 1992 in a speech on the 40th anniversary of her ascension to the Throne. I thought it can be aptly applied to Goa for the events and circumstances that filled 2015. It was a year of wrecked hopes, broken dreams and unfulfilled promises. It’s been topsy-turvy. I couldn’t be far off the point in saying that the centre too had a curvy run. It could be political coincidence that the BJP is ruling at the centre as well as in Goa. In fact, there’s some pride for Goa in creating a new government when the BJP convention in Goa selected Narendra Modi as the candidate for prime minister. As they say, the rest is history. The man wildly discredited for a sorry and shameful episode in India’s communal history, the Gujarat carnage, has been propelled to the highest political office in the country. One cannot discount that Modi has legion of supporters, and one just has to troll the social media websites to watch these so- called Modi bakths go into topspin to critique and lambast those who point out Modi and BJP’s faults. The worlds of Twitter and Facebook have become happy playgrounds for the triggerhappy people. So much so, that there are thousands of jokes created in the span of Modi’s coming to power. It’s fun to read the battle-of-words between the two sections of the politically-conscious Indians — those in favour of BJP and those in favour of Congress — as they spare no opportunity to humiliate and castigate each other. Just check what’s trending on Modi on Twitter. >From Make in India to Cowboy Modi to Chai pe Charcha to Selfie King to Rockstar, the tags are growing and Modi’s popularity is soaring. He romps the world, meeting world leaders and wooing leading businessmen and investors for his “ Make in India” vision, while also smooching with diaspora Indians. As each Goan looks at it, Modi could have done Goa a favour by taking Manohar Parrikar to Delhi to be in charge of India’s defence or he could have done harm to Goa by his act. As some see it, Parrikar’s innings in Goa were good while his distractors felt Parrikar had played too much with the state’s political structure that he often scored self- goals. He often shocked people by running straight and suddenly making an about-turn. No wonder he got the label of Master of U- turns. Unfortunately, Parrikar’s shadow still looms large over Goa. True, he’s the son-of-thesoil but one expected him to keep himself at arm’s length on the political administration of Goa since he’s no longer the Boss. He still pulls strings from Delhi. For him, Goa is just a plane away. And now that he has his dream project, DEFEXPO, to be held in South Goa in March, and his Mopa airport is most likely to take off despite his promise in 2012 to have it ready in three years’ time, Parrikar’s presence in Goa is virtually assured as long BJP continues to have its hold on the state. Besides, Parrikar’s quest to make Goa a permanent site for the expo by demanding land has earned him brickbats but it has also gained him more leverage in the BJP set-up. It’s long range though, for the 2017 election will decide the fate of Parrikar’s ambitious project. Goa went through its worst phase last year and the BJP has lost some of its sheen for the political shenanigans and for the decline in law and order situation. The mining imbroglio hasn’t been fully settled and tourism has received a kick in its butt. Goa isn’t exactly rolling on its belly, but the impact of these two money- making engines have diluted the exchequer to a point of deep concern. The battle on the mining front is still wide open, and it remains to be seen if mining is renewed by meeting the terms and conditions of the Supreme Court. As for providing tourism the necessary boost and oxygen to revitalize itself, it would be better to get the Master Plan into action. For too long, this piece of paper is hanging fire. The stakeholders must get their heads together to iron out the wrinkles and set the ball in motion before it’s too late. Since tourism suffered last year, one can expect it to further lose its potential and vitality. Goa had got too much of bad publicity not in just the local media or the Indian media but in the international press. The travails in the tourist department may also make tourism lose its glitter. There are other cheaper and much healthy destinations on the horizon for the low- to medium- budget traveller. In the midst of tourism downtown, it’s hard to understand why there’s a need for an elite golf course at Tiracol. Please leave this pristine area alone, lest it becomes another Calangute or Candolim. I have seen these two famous tourist venues go downhill from their virgin status to a much raped and abused tourist spots. I lived among the hippies to understand them as much as young Pedros and Ladros were studying the anatomies of white female bodies. The Vagator of then is now a spoilt area. Looking at Morjim and the ramshackle houses made me wonder if that was what Goa was becoming. From a tourist pie that was sweet and tasty like our beloved bebinca Goa has slowly turned into a depleted zone. In fact, the coastal belt in both South and North Goa presents a sorry spectacle of neglect and poor planning. I have links with two of Goa's beach-villages, Colva and Bogmalo, and have seen how they have changed from my young days. I want progress but controlled progress that doesn't impinge on the natural beauty of the land. Some years ago I met the tourism minister, Dilip Parulekar, in Dubai for the travel show. He seemed to be an angry man who hated the NGOs which were fighting to save Goa’s lands and environment. Before him, I had also met Dr. Wilfred D’Souza and the late minister was missing in action for most of the time at the travel show. These travel shows seems to have become travel jaunts for the ministers but, in practical terms, the rewards are much less for the efforts. In the late 80s, I suggested to the late minister Luis Proto Barbosa, during his visit to Toronto, to go to the Toronto Harbourfront area as well check out the Ontario Place, two of the finest tourist sites, and try and emulate something on these lines. My plea fell on deaf ears. Making Goa into another Singapore, and whatever other grandiose plans the government is thinking about are like pies in the skies. Heritage tourism is a select package while sun-and-sea tourism appeals to the common world- traveller. Baiting high-end tourists have been Goa’s aim but it’s seems like a mirage. Medical tourism is a no-no for Goa, for someone like me had a bitter lesson dealing with an high-end medical hospital. Goa must seek a midway between the high and the low, between the rave parties and sunbathing, between golfing and sea-bashing. Somewhere between these options lie the route Goa tourism must take. I need to read the master plan and see what remedies it offers for Goa’s tourism to take a flight into profitability while sustaining Goa’s cultural ethos and moral spirit. On a concluding note, I saw Goa closely in 2015 and wasn’t happy with the journey the state was going on. I wish the course is changed drastically this year, perhaps deserving a U-Turn, and the ruling party restores the confidence of the people. ( Eugene Correia is a senior journalist.) == Eugene
