The much-talked-about Sunburn Electronic Dance Music Festival finally kicked off on Thursday at Vagator but faced a minor hurdle on Day One as the Goa State Pollution Control Board officials directed the organisers to shut down music played at one of the stages citing sound decibels exceeding the permitted limits.
The sound returned on Day 2 and it was business as usual at the venue, but the brief pause that was directed on the opening gave authorities the much-needed ammo to fire at those who wrote off the police and pollution control board.
Sunburn has hogged so much of the limelight, and continues to do so even as 1,200 police personnel are posted at the venue doing duty, along with sniffer dogs to track narcotics. Additionally, there are personnel of the Fire and Emergency Services posted and also 108 Ambulance services. It appears the bulk of the government machinery is focused on the event since the High Court has come hard on authorities.
Apparently, with so much attention on Sunburn, authorities are leaving no stone unturned to show that they are alive to the ground situation, as directed by the High Court. The pollution control board and the police did just that by briefly stopping the music at one stage on Day one.
What is however appalling is that while Sunburn goes through with its music, it’s business as usual along the coastal belt of Calangute, Baga and Anjuna with booming music playing till the wee hours and no authorities turning to the rescue of distressed citizens. Authorities have diverted their full attention to Sunburn because that’s been the grand stage of attention for all. Why are sound violations not stopped elsewhere?
The entire system appears to be caught in a Sunburn trance, year after year making making a complete mockery of Goa and Goans. For example, in Goa every year the organisers announce the sale of tickets in advance even before approvals are taken, and it has become a habit that the government remains in denial till the very eleventh hour. We saw it this year too. The show goes on.
In Hyderabad, the police booked Sunburn organisers for selling tickets for a December 31 event without prior permission. The event was later relocated to Visakhapatnam. If the Hyderabad police could initiate such action, why could the Goa police not take similar action when the tourism minister was in complete denial of giving permissions?
Secondly, why was Sunburn allowed to hold the event when the organisers were in default of past dues of Rs 2.44 crore to the Anjuna Comunidade? It was only when a Comiunidade member went to court making a plea seeking immediate eviction that the organisers were left with no option but to pay. Why is there such a soft corner to Sunburn, despite they having a history of defaulting on payments to the government?
Thanks to the High Court, there is some semblance of order. At least, it seems that the machinery is forced to listen to the sound of Sunburn, finally. We only hope the court could suo motto take cognisance of the plight of those whose shrill voices against noise pollution are going unheard.
