To Goanet - Panjim is a mess today, Dec 31. Cars bearing number plates from MH, KA, AP, GJ and DL have steamrolled the city. The beach at Miramar has been transformed into a refugee camp and an outdoor toilet. Hordes of uncouth, ill-mannered Indian men roam the city gawking at women, spitting out gutka, littering all over the place. If this is the state of Panjim, one can well imagine the melee around Candolim, Baga and Calangute.
At around 7 pm, I got a telephone call from someone who said that the music at the Sun & Sand hotel was so loud (and they are just warming up right now) that it was affecting his elderly mother. He wanted my counsel on just how to deal with the situation. The common Goan citizen has NO recourse today. Unless you have money to bribe the police, or know an MLA personally, or have a bunch of goons to do your work, it is tough luck. This brings us to the question of the limits to our tolerance. Why should we, the rest of the citizenry not involved in, or beneficiaries of, the tourism industry bear the nuisance and intrusion in our lives that comes with it? At what point do the economic benefits of tourism that accrue (to the relative few) outweigh the concomitant nuisance value and ills? What kind of controls should we demand of our govt? This is India, a lawless and mannerless land, and these are the miserable Indian boors we have to deal with. As we close out this year, it would be well for every Goan to introspect and think this through. Regards, r ____________________________________________________________________________________ Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your home page. http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs