A video went viral on Wednesday showing a tourist from Bengaluru being assaulted at Calangute beach by around 15 shack staff with rods and pipes. It is learnt that the tourist had occupied a beach bed put up by the shack after a swim. Police swung into action on Wednesday and arrested the staff of the shack, while Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte expressed displeasure, saying such incidents affect tourism and the image of Goa. “The police should have been called in instead of escalating the situation”, said Khaunte.
Attack on tourists, sometimes on unruly visitors, has been common along the bustling coastal stretches of North Goa. Lately, beach harassment cases have been reported in Mandrem and Anjuna, and not to forget the Vagator club violence. The Calangute shack assault is yet another case where law and order, as well as regulatory mechanisms, have failed. Arresting those involved in the attack and suspending the shack licence are reactive measures that scratch the surface of a deeper systemic failure. The State must look to pre-empt such scenarios.
Authorities are not learning anything from past incidents. The tourism department’s assertion that police should have been called does not fit well in such contexts, especially when there are spontaneous cases of aggression and violence. Shack operators usually hire non-local, untrained staff due to budget constraints. They don’t understand the depths of hospitality and courtesy. Yes, there have been cases of unruly desi tourists, but that is where crisis management comes in. In a tourism state, nuisance or misbehaviour cannot be dealt with violence.
The question is whether the tourism department has allowed this chaos to fester along the coastline. Once labelled as havens of leisure and peace, the beach belts are turning into trouble spots. This is where heightened policing is needed, not reactive. Right now, there is a complete disconnect from reality. In the heat of a confrontation, especially one spiralling into violence, waiting for police intervention is a luxury no one has. Such skirmishes demand an immediate, on-the-spot policing to diffuse tensions before they escalate further.
The inherent loose ends in the system are as clear as daylight. Take, for example, the beach beds, an issue that has been at the heart of the Calangute shack attack. Beach shacks continue to flout rules, overextending their beds beyond permitted boundaries, setting up unauthorised tables, and occupying demarcated zones meant for public use. These violations, which have been tolerated, not only mar the aesthetic appeal of the beaches but also breed an environment conducive to lawless behaviour. If brazen violations are allowed, then the very point of having rules and policies is defeated.
Another case in point is a SUV wading into the sea waters of Vagator recently, only to be rescued by a crane. While police have initiated action against the tourists, one wonders how the car made it to the sea in the first place. Where was enforcement? The answer points back to inadequate policing and reactive enforcement. Lack of police force or tourism police being low in numbers is not an acceptable reason anymore, because the State is dealing with something serious here. Goa’s beach belts need regular patrols. Arrests cannot be deterrents.
This pattern of neglect fosters chaos, which in turn breeds nuisance and violence. If the tourism department is genuinely serious in protecting the image, then there is an unfinished agenda — rope in more police, create awareness about rules of the land, and most importantly, instil a sense of discipline. The tourist may be supreme, but he cannot be over and above the laws of the State.
