Goa celebrated its 50th year of liberation on December 19. However, these are not the best of times for India's favourite tourist spot which has been making the news for all the wrong reasons, especially the mining scam.
Goa faces a host of challenges in the coming years. Builders are making a furious beeline for the State and, in the process, property prices have soared. This rapid concretising could also pose a grave threat to the environment and observers believe the damage caused could be irreparable if remedial measures are not taken soon.
To old timers, this marks an unwelcome invasion of their quiet little paradise which is disintegrating into an ugly urban sprawl. From the average tourist's point of view, this is the ultimate paradise with its large beaches and unending supplies of liquor. Rooms are blocked months in advance for Christmas and New Year celebrations, and the coming days will be no different either.
However, under this serene layer is a volcano that could just erupt any moment. The mining scam clearly exposed the seamy and ugly side of a system where people were willing to do anything to make a fast buck. The idea of a happy tourist destination being ravaged for its riches was shocking to lovers of Goa. The bigger fear is that this will continue to happen if unchecked which will leave today's paradise in a shambles tomorrow.
To those who have been living in Goa for decades, this is nothing short of a horror story. These people like the place for its cleanliness and peace. Time virtually stands still in Goa which is the best piece of news to anyone who wants a break from his/her hectic routine in the city.
Nobody spoke of ‘outsiders' years ago since everyone was welcome in Goa. However, with the kind of money people are coughing up to buy lavish properties, the divide between the super-rich and the locals has only widened over the years. There are fears that this will lead to more crimes especially when jobs are getting hard to come by in a tough slowdown period.
The cynics are convinced it is a matter of time before Goa loses its charm and becomes another dirty, overcrowded place. The more hopeful believe this is a bad phase which will gradually pass over. Goa surely deserves better. Otherwise, its golden jubilee celebrations are nothing short of a cruel joke.