Goa of my Dreams

                                                                                                    -Neshwin Almeida

 Every morning when I wake up and pull the shades I feel the cool humid breeze blow into my face and the words of our famous poet rings into my ears.  

Sobit Mujhe Goi!

Sunder Mujhe Goi!!

-         Manohar Sardessai

My Goa! “The pearl of the orient” Blessed by the finest coastline of beautiful white sand beaches, historical cathedrals, temples, churches, clear blue seas, rich varied flora fauna and ores.

That’s not all! Goa is a land of loving people, abounded with peace, joy, love, faith and harmony.

As a “Goinkar” (Goan) I have dreams, ambitions and aspirations. To pay back my obligations to Goa which has given me so much from varied cultures, the palette of innumerable delicacies, love, respect, security and stature in the international society as a Goan I pledge my services.

Over the last five years my mind works up on the increasing news reports of arrest and rounding up of drug peddlers, increasing murderers, rapes, robberies and crimes in Goa.

We are now reeling under a few menaces and are a little lost out because of unplanned development, massive corruption and gross irregularities.

To curb these evils that have conquered our land we need immediate change in reforms, ethics and laws. The need is to increase our responsibility to protect the growing youth and instill authority and self-discipline among the people.

The increase of drug peddlers which also includes alcoholics and smokers is because of the increasing tourist who come to Goa in search of NIRVANA who introduced grass and “charas”, Saturday Nite Bazaar’s, Booming Party zones, Disco’s, Rave Parties and Flea Markets up North which is slowly coming down South. The main cause of rapes, molestation and women harassment is because of the increasing “Desperados” coming to Goa from other states in search of work. These migrant labors are not used to the Goan lifestyle to mingle in society and “Oogle” their eyes at women. Robberies and thefts have increased under the same factor--migrant labour and the greedy Goan who does not want to study but indulge in these activities.

Another evil that is spread all over Goa is the sex racket and prostitution. Dirty women who want a fast buck indulge in these activities in Goa, which was initially not happening in Goa. But with the demolition of the Baina cubicles and stringent laws and ordinances on the dance bars by the governments of Maharastra has brought these women to Goa for business. These are the carriers of AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases. Today in Goa more than 300 cases of Aids are detected and by 2012 everyday 7000 deaths caused by AIDS are expected in Goa.

So the need of the hour is strict police vigilance, curbing and controlling of all these illegal activities including “Matka” which is now a booming career-major form of swindling money and the one of the many reasons that’s causing family rifts, widespread awareness among Goans to keep alert, maintenance of log books and records and also registration of migrant labour and tourist coming from the Opium world.

On the environmental front tourism has taken its toll. Ask your parents what colva beach was thirty years ago? Today it is so commercialized which has given rise to anti social elements like rave parties, discos and prostitution centers. The same is the fate of all our prime beaches: - Anjuna, Baga, Calangute and now Palolem. The five star hotels have appropriated these beaches making Goan feel like aliens in their own land.

What pains the most of all is that tourists have changed the ethos of our beautiful little state. As mentioned earlier we people have a distinct culture and lifestyle of our own. We are by nature-contented people living in peace and harmony. Now things are changing at a rapid pace: -changing for the worse. Our women are no longer safe. Our children are victims of lecherous pedophiles. We are becoming a consumerist society loosing our traditional values.

Not to speak of our depleting natural resources. Hoteliers gobble acres and acres of land up. Water will soon be a scarce resource. While taps will run dry during the summer; the hotels will have acres of manicured green lawns, huge golf courses, moats around their rooms, artificial waterfalls, fountains.

There is also a need of social reforms, which needs to be imbibed in mostly the Goan youth in the age group of 12 years to 30 years. Since this the age group of making right choices and decisions seems a little difficult. One wrong decision can put us in extreme jeopardy and sabotage our life, which is one reason of increasing peer pressure and suicides in Goa.

The youth of Goa need extreme direction through proper education, implementation of sex education, setting up of certain norms and standards to the youth and working on building better relations in society.

This will result in diminishing cyber-crimes, rapes and all the social evils hitting Goa. This could even change our mind-sets and start getting people away from the BARS, “TAVERNS”, CASINOS, DISCOS and RAVE PARTIES. It is not that I’m against social life, which is one of the basics of a Goan. But this phrase social life is now being exploited with increasing tourism and migrant labour in Goa.

Another aspect is the garbage menace. It’s the core issue of debating at the moment. All we saw is protest, write-up and pin-up’s by the big guns of the Goan society. Let us make the garbage problem a two way process for faster clearance and quickly improve the eyesore in Curca, Sonsoddo, Saligao and Assagao. If every person starts waste segregation, Vermi-composting or locating dumpsites the garbage menace can be solved immediately. We need quick solution or it will eat on tourism, which is the “GOOSE” that lays the golden egg for Goans and provides employment to thousand of Goans. Let us join hands in solving this menace and also clearing our beaches, which is laden with garbage. The basic need to induce garbage clearance and cleaner surroundings is to get rid of the Goan mindset of dumping our dirt in the neighbors’ compound.

Goa over the last years has stated witnessing communalism. Something that never prevailed among the love filled Goans. This communalism has brought about by political parties, its factions and co-partners creating a divide and hatred among the different religious communities of Goa. These parties, which are like the hood-wings of a horse, have filthy mindsets and vested interest, which has misguided our people and left high and dry. I hereby appeal to every Goan who has the right to vote to root out this evil and useless political parties and let our peace and love filled environment prevail.

As a Goan I like to keep our cultures and ways of living intact. I would like to sees the Portuguese cultures or the ways and methods of the Gawda and Velip communities to prevail. Our unique cultures, dress codes and arts should be matter of pride to us Goans and we should preserve them. Especially our language Konkani. The need is to see that every Goan can speak Konkani and write Konkani in any script. It is language that can warm hearts. To do something for my Goa or for any Goan he needs to be around this land that has given us so much. We should not migrate to other countries selling our land to others. We should stay in Goa and keep the Goan cycle ticking.

But that’s not all! Correcting and reforming society is useless if the greed is not quenched. Why is all the menace cropping up? Why is society bending its back so low? The answer lies in the green notes. I mean money!

To grow socially we need to be economically viable. Its only when we are economically secure then we do not look down on the thrash ways of making a quick buck. This needs extreme planning, free interstate trading, a people’s dialogue, advanced educational facilities and faculty, standards, norms and good basic infrastructure.

Now all this is possible only if we have stable governments, which are not corrupt, and comprises of dynamic leaders. We see politics as ill fated and do not want to indulge in it without realizing that its governments that make policies and have a final say on quality innovations that can reform societies.

So its time to break out of our “Sussegaddo” shell and start transforming the state of affairs.

Firstly we need to see that all basic amenities a provided, all Goan villages are electrified; quality education is imparted amongst students so that we receive our due share of recognition by Multi National companies.

The need of the hour is proper marketing of tourism and penning certain norms and standards to those involved in this industry. Recent reports claimed that Goa is losing out on tourists because they’re so badly looted in Goa that they find it more feasible to drop by the Hawaii or Caribbean’s, which also has beautiful beachfronts.

We also need to encourage more and more people into this industry and train people who are currently in it to be more hospitable. This needs to be done in par by the government along with The Economic Development Corporation of Goa and The Goa Infrastructure Development Corporation. By providing subsidies to encourage more and more entrepreneurs or rather influence entrepreneurship. This in turn will automatically create employment among our youth.

Goa needs to plan out more industrial estates and invite investors and entrepreneurs to this state. Taking into considerations the English fluency among Goans, I believe that the BPO industry will boom in Goa. But industries should not be controversial and create health hazards. They need to consider the well being of the people and our ecosystems, efficiency and sustainability. Also the government needs to look into cut off in tax rates along with security so that theses companies prevail in Goa.

Goa is a land of varied cultures and arts. Thanks to the different clans and religious groups that prevail in Goa and not to forget the tribals as in The Velips and the Gawdas and also the traditions inculcated in us by the Portuguese who ruled over us for centuries.

This has given rise to social enigma, handicrafts and arts. Organizations like The Goa handicrafts, Rural and Small Scale Industries Development Corporation need to tap onto these resources and encourage artisans to generate viable monetary value for their services and works.

Quick loans need to be provided by the Small Scale Industries Development Bank of India and The National Small Industries Corporation to encourage Goans into production. Also construction, housing and real estate sectors in Goa needs much attention as it is a money generating cycle. Lands need to be recognized as urbanized, agricultural and industrial.

The main characteristics of real estate as an industry are: (1) Fragmented (no

National or even- regional players) (2) Capital Intensive (3) High investment from

Buyers (4) Multiple decision makers (5) Mostly, once in a life time purchase (6) Significant role for the intermediary like realtor, broker etc. (7) Movement away from a sellers to a buyers market.

As we have seen the practice of agriculture has diminished since liberation. Why?

The answer is very clear. We need to implement more farming schemes, which will hold good to those who indulge in this activity. Also needed is better quality or rather hybrid variety of seeds and livestock. The major disadvantage in this sector is the communication gap and transportation. Goa needs cost effective transport facilities to encourage country farmers to introduce their products into the urbanized cities and to create a kind of interdependence.

To develop economically this will automatically bring about social equality and flush out the evils which entangling Goan society. For this we need to follow the seven organizing principles of sustainability and the five strategies of land use management.

They are:

Seven Organizing Principles for Sustainability

Five Strategies for Land-Use Management

I believe if we can play are cards well and surge Goa ahead to greater scales then we wont only be the best state on paper but also a model state of my dreams.

So let’s build a clean, green and economically viable

Dev Borem Korum!!