When Minister Vinod Palyekar dropped that narcotics bomb in my weekly interview programme ‘Head On', my journalistic instinct gave me a signal that this was going to be the beginning of a massive political slugfest over the issue. A minister expressing concerns over threat to his life because he preferred to take on the drugs menace in the coastal belt of North Goa is something new in Goa. Many MLAs have been vocal about the spread of the nexus but few have succeeded in actually taking on the vicious behemoth. Vinod Palyekar not only exposed the politician-police-drugs mafia nexus without mincing any words, he decided to cut the further spreading tentacles by opposing events like EDMs. What he told me on camera was shocking. He was being followed during his morning walks and direct threats were being issued to him by known elements in the illicit trade.
The political wrestling over the matter will die down within few days. Vinod Palyekar would be provided extra security. But the spread of the drugs would continue. When Prudent exposed the Atala tapes in 2010 that led to suspension of the then Anti Narcotics Cell, everyone felt it would somehow at least restrict growth of the business. However, they laid low for some time and seven years down the line we have a prominent minister in the cabinet, on record, stating how policemen from Anjuna police station, falling within the boundaries of his constituency are completely hand in glove with the drugs peddlers.
One of the most dangerous and notorious drug lords of all time Pablo Escobar once famously said, "Everyone has a price, the important thing is to find out what it is". Now luckily we don't have Escobars walking around the streets of Goa, although we have seen mighty African nationals going berserk on our highways. We don't have the mafia in its truest sense. But we have a network and a deep rooted nexus. And the price our guys have put upon themselves, is not even in the slightest range that Pablo demonstrates in one of the most addictive TV shows of all times - Narcos. We are selling our souls and our young for a song. That does not mean a "better price" would justify our deeds. Destruction of life and youth cannot be price tagged.
But can we root out the menace today? Let us be realistic. We cannot. A wipe out is not possible. It is not only the foreigners or the Nigerians or Israelis, as we loosely refer to them, but our own people, lot of Goans and natives who have given shelter to the propellers of the trade. It has now become a thriving business and entangled in the economy. It has political patronage, police protection and most of all people's power. It thrives on the blessings of the locals. No illegality can flourish in an area if the locale is vehemently against it. No outsider or a foreigner can spread his venom if the villagers are aware and vigilant. In Goa, we have allowed these elements to prosper. We have provided them with sanctuary.
Now we are worried because the nexus is making inroads into our villages away from the beach belt. People of Bhutkhamb at Keri-Ponda demanded few days back that an abandoned building is becoming a den for drugs consumers. They pleaded for police action. They feared that youngsters from their village would fall prey to this deadly addiction. Keri and Anjuna or Calangute are miles away. But the cancer of narcotics is already spreading across the veins and arteries of Goa. People from the other towns of Goa are already complaining that drugs are getting easily available outside some of the prominent colleges in the state. Where are we headed?
Chief Minister in the right spirit ordered severe crackdown on such elements in the society. Many people were booked. None of them carried substantial quantity of narcotics. Most of them carried ganja not cocaine or heroin. When such are the results of a "massive" crackdown on drugs nexus and a minister claims involvement of an entire police station in the network, we have to ask our political establishment - are you really serious in weeding out the poison?
We have been eye washed before. There have been attempts to even brain wash us. But we have never seen any decline in the narcotics business. Rather, the spread is menacing. It is gripping our hinterlands. We need the CM who is also the Home Minister to be pragmatic as well as conscientious on this matter. No one expects that entire trade would be wiped out overnight or in a fortnight. But we need to prioritize our approach towards the bustle. Our primary focus now should be on containing the spread of drugs across Goa and our villages. Once this is achieved we need to focus on the beach belt and ensure that the wholesale and retail sale on the streets is curtailed. Make the availability very difficult. Then we can look at breaking the supply chains and arresting the Lords of the trade. The CM needs to have this three-stage strategy. And it needs to be effectively executed in that order. At least, we would achieve something.
As for our police force, I love that dialogue from Singham. "Agar is desh ki police than le to mandir ke bahar se ek chappal bhi chori nahi ho sakta". I can only say - Amen!
The political wrestling over the matter will die down within few days. Vinod Palyekar would be provided extra security. But the spread of the drugs would continue. When Prudent exposed the Atala tapes in 2010 that led to suspension of the then Anti Narcotics Cell, everyone felt it would somehow at least restrict growth of the business. However, they laid low for some time and seven years down the line we have a prominent minister in the cabinet, on record, stating how policemen from Anjuna police station, falling within the boundaries of his constituency are completely hand in glove with the drugs peddlers.
One of the most dangerous and notorious drug lords of all time Pablo Escobar once famously said, "Everyone has a price, the important thing is to find out what it is". Now luckily we don't have Escobars walking around the streets of Goa, although we have seen mighty African nationals going berserk on our highways. We don't have the mafia in its truest sense. But we have a network and a deep rooted nexus. And the price our guys have put upon themselves, is not even in the slightest range that Pablo demonstrates in one of the most addictive TV shows of all times - Narcos. We are selling our souls and our young for a song. That does not mean a "better price" would justify our deeds. Destruction of life and youth cannot be price tagged.
But can we root out the menace today? Let us be realistic. We cannot. A wipe out is not possible. It is not only the foreigners or the Nigerians or Israelis, as we loosely refer to them, but our own people, lot of Goans and natives who have given shelter to the propellers of the trade. It has now become a thriving business and entangled in the economy. It has political patronage, police protection and most of all people's power. It thrives on the blessings of the locals. No illegality can flourish in an area if the locale is vehemently against it. No outsider or a foreigner can spread his venom if the villagers are aware and vigilant. In Goa, we have allowed these elements to prosper. We have provided them with sanctuary.
Now we are worried because the nexus is making inroads into our villages away from the beach belt. People of Bhutkhamb at Keri-Ponda demanded few days back that an abandoned building is becoming a den for drugs consumers. They pleaded for police action. They feared that youngsters from their village would fall prey to this deadly addiction. Keri and Anjuna or Calangute are miles away. But the cancer of narcotics is already spreading across the veins and arteries of Goa. People from the other towns of Goa are already complaining that drugs are getting easily available outside some of the prominent colleges in the state. Where are we headed?
Chief Minister in the right spirit ordered severe crackdown on such elements in the society. Many people were booked. None of them carried substantial quantity of narcotics. Most of them carried ganja not cocaine or heroin. When such are the results of a "massive" crackdown on drugs nexus and a minister claims involvement of an entire police station in the network, we have to ask our political establishment - are you really serious in weeding out the poison?
We have been eye washed before. There have been attempts to even brain wash us. But we have never seen any decline in the narcotics business. Rather, the spread is menacing. It is gripping our hinterlands. We need the CM who is also the Home Minister to be pragmatic as well as conscientious on this matter. No one expects that entire trade would be wiped out overnight or in a fortnight. But we need to prioritize our approach towards the bustle. Our primary focus now should be on containing the spread of drugs across Goa and our villages. Once this is achieved we need to focus on the beach belt and ensure that the wholesale and retail sale on the streets is curtailed. Make the availability very difficult. Then we can look at breaking the supply chains and arresting the Lords of the trade. The CM needs to have this three-stage strategy. And it needs to be effectively executed in that order. At least, we would achieve something.
As for our police force, I love that dialogue from Singham. "Agar is desh ki police than le to mandir ke bahar se ek chappal bhi chori nahi ho sakta". I can only say - Amen!
