Has Sonali Phogat case dented Goa's tourism image?
The death of social media content creator and BJP leader Sonali Phogat has once again brought the state of Goa into the eye of a storm.
Is Goa’s image, which is synonymous with paradise, getting tainted as the drugs and sex capital of India? While many Goans think the incident will be forgotten in a few days and things will be normal, a few feel the need for introspection.
They have raised concerns about poor governance, policing and also reckless tourists, who think they can come to Goa and throw rules to the wind.
Too much fun can sometimes turn out to be the reason for too much sorrow, and Phogat's alleged murder is a fit example. Her death has once again exposed the underbelly of the drug trade in the coastal belt.
Assistant Professor at Goa University, Aditya Sinai Bhangui, says, "I consider Goa as a divine place, but some people, especially Bollywood producers, have maligned its image. Goa is a tourist attraction, but those visiting need to understand not all Goans drink and party all night."
"Whenever you hear about serious crime, you will notice that non-Goans are involved in it. Outsiders come to Goa thinking about beaches, parties and drugs and indulge in criminal activities," he mentions.
But people who come here should also know that other than beaches, Goa also has temples, churches, forts, historical sites, museums and many other attractions, he avers.
Vishram Gokhale, a resident of Vasco, says the responsibility of maintaining Goa as a clean and safe destination rests on the shoulders of Goans, politicians and law-enforcement agencies.
Poorwa Naik, Assistant Professor (English) Goa University, says there is a dire need for a “spiritual” revolution. "We presently live in a fast-paced world dealing with too many things, therefore we easily fall prey to vices. There may be several reasons such as unemployment and also the need for fast money drives people into wrong things," she opines. She feels it is not correct to blame outsiders for all the ills. It is time for Goans also to look within, she adds.
Prakash Kamat, a veteran journalist, opines things won’t change for good until society reacts. People need to be more vigilant and the police have to show consistency in cracking drug cases and also follow-ups of such crimes.
Parshuram Sonurlekar, president of Goa First an NGO, blames Goa government for being partial in handling high-profile cases and those involving the common man.
"High-profile cases are referred to the central agencies. The Goa police force is one of the best in the country. If the state government thinks that the state police are incompetent, then it should consider scrapping the force," Sonurlekar adds.
He asserts the Goa government is aware of the drug trade, flesh trade and everything that's going on in the coastal belt. Everything is compromised in the name of tourism, he rues.