Was Chief Minister Pramod Sawant’s decision to overrule a move to impose night curfew in Goa on the eve of New Year’s day justified? Or has the CM overlooked the safety concerns of lakhs of Goans who remain vulnerable to Covid after this massive influx of tourists? Rationally speaking, keeping in mind other States exercising extreme caution under the existing panic situation, Goa has reasons to worry. The free-for-all festive merry-making and partying could take us back to where we started, or even further down the road to agony and pain.
States and metros preferred to tone down celebrations emphasizing on health concerns of citizens. Take for example the exhaustive night curfew from 8 pm to 6 am imposed in the Central Business District of Bengaluru, an area that traditionally witnesses the highest number of New Year’s revellers. Despite the huge financial implications on businesses and establishments related to the entertainment and hospitality sectors and its human resource, administrations in respective areas have stuck to their guns.
Mumbai, which is already under night curfew between 11 pm and 6 am ensured that all restaurants, pubs and dine-out joints closed shop at the stroke of the deadline. No night visits were permitted to the iconic Gateway of India, Marine Drive and the Juhu beaches which are traditionally crowded during the festive time. The only saving grace for Mumbaikars was the municipal corporation appealing to citizens with a catchline “don’t stop the party Mumbai, just take it indoors after 11 pm”. Delhi also followed Mumbai’s night curfew and cracked hard on night parties. Hyderabad and Chennai imposed strictures against free movement and assembly, all in keeping with Covid protocols. Major party hotspots across the nation have faced clampdown in a bid to pre-empt a virus spike.
Sawant, however, took a gamble and left it to tourists to exercise caution and follow SOPs, despite the obvious failure in controlling crowds. Pictures speak a thousand words, and the photos of tourists without face masks, crowding iconic beaches of Colva, Calangute, Baga and others were testimony to a failure in reigning in the discipline. When the New Year was finally ushered in, Goa witnessed a frenzied celebration and chaotic partying. The police force deployed remained bystanders unable to handle the situation because of the mammoth flow of visitors. Beach belts in the North were crowded to the brim, and the litter and alcohol bottles strewn along the coast overnight went on to show that visitors soaked in the spirit of the New Year unmindful of the looming peril.
We can understand the fallout of night curfew on the financials of an already battered economy. Suddenly pulling the brakes may have been unfair to the thousands of visitors that had descended on the State to usher in the New Year, as much as restaurants, pubs and entertainment units which made elaborate arrangements in the hope of salvaging some losses suffered during a major part of the pandemic. However, given the situation, it was the government’s responsibility to strike a fair balance.
The party is over, and as the State picks up the pieces, there would be a distinct feeling of uncertainty. Goa could end up paying a heavy price for opening the floodgates for Covid once again. We hope the government gets over the season’s hangover very soon and starts thinking about the people of the land.
