The changing landscape
By V. M. de Malar
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Things move slowly in Goa, it's a cliché with truth to
it. In other big-name tourist destinations around the
world, a giant ship stranded just metres from a premier
beach would have been carted away almost immediately;
here in Goa it sits defiantly in the sand for years, even
as governments and governors come and go. Another monsoon
is on its way out now, and still that huge rusting hulk
just sits there, it's a constant, daily,
twenty-four-hour, 365-days, reminder that we can't get
our act together even when the problem is glaringly acute
and everyone is agreed on the solution.
For another example of glacial pace, there's the garbage issue
that's literally been raising a stink in recent weeks. It's not a
new problem, There's nothing unexpected about it; this has been a
slowly developing disaster that everyone saw, everyone talked
about, and no one tackled. So, we are again hearing about imminent
sewerage projects, about some mysterious, marvelous, Japanese plan,
that alternate dumping grounds are about to be agreed upon. But
where is the garbage to go right now, why did this all have to
become such a dire emergency, why wasn't there a sustainable plan
put in place years ago?
There was a time, admittedly, when Goa's distinctive languour had a
charming aspect. Here was a sleepy, peerlessly beautiful, land
where very little changed even as all kinds of development surged
in the rest of the world.
For most of the period following Independence, India as a whole
trudged along at a nearly comatose three per cent annual economic
growth, and our Goa was only a backwater. Our local economy and
culture still derived heavily from traditional livelihoods like
agriculture and fishing, ambitious youth still had to leave their
homeland to find opportunity, most of our lands were used the same
way they have been utilized for centuries.
But that world has passed, forever, and we need to rapidly update
our laid-back attitude to cope with advancing threats and
opportunities; it's a brand new era for India, and Goa will not
remain immune to the dramatic forces that are sweeping the country.
We need to wake up and become far more alert and vigilant about the
changes that are underway already. There have been enough portents,
and warnings, and projections; Goa is entering into an unstoppable
boom period that is going to affect all the major aspects of our
society, our demographics, our landscape and our economy. And we
Goans will either manage this boom intelligently, with an eye to
sustainability and the future, or we are going to lose almost
everything we prize about our blessed little homeland in just a few
years.
There's nothing isolated or unique about our predicament,
it is a story that has been rewritten in Bali, in Hawaii,
in the Virgin Islands, and in lots of other parts of the
world that suddenly became one of the most favoured
global destinations. There's overnight pressure on the
land, on the coastline, on the service economy. Sometimes
the locals sell out and become increasingly marginalized,
and isolated. Or they hang on, resist disposing of land
and small businesses, and retain control of the shifting
economic scene in order to reap long-term benefits. Goans
are still in the process of making the choice; the
results will be crucial for the viability of our fragile
environment, and age-old culture.
Goa is rather fortunate, compared with almost every other tourism
hotspot that has faced our current dilemma. We're part of a country
that is in unstoppable ascendance; India is being reshaped by
globalization, technology and innovation into one of the genuine
players in the world economy, and our small state is a mere air hop
from some of the most dynamic growth areas in the entire world. We
don't need to look very far for positive (or negative) role models
as we adjust to swift-moving tides; they're right nearby in
Bangalore and in Chennai, in Pune and even in Vizag.
Great change is already happening there, it's already having an
impact on Goa. This is the beginning of an era that will define the
future of our ancient, blessed, homeland and the well being of
future generations. We need to face the future, head on, without
excuses or wavering, and with the long-term survivability of our
way of life in mind. Are we up to the challenge?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: After firing missives in cyberspace, mainly
through Goanet, VM has resettled in Goa with his family. From there
he puts out his twice-weekly skillfully written columns in the
local newspaper Herald, and looks ahead to making plans for the
challenging future.
GOANET READER welcomes contribution
