Goans woke up on Friday still apprehensive and confused over their daily fish. And a day after Food and Drugs Administration gave a clean chit to the imported fish, with a promise to remain vigilant over any formalin contamination, truckloads of fish descended freely at the wholesale fish market in Margao with no tests in sight.
While panic-stricken fish lovers continue to remain in a haze over the quality of fish, the hullabaloo and uproar that rocked the State died down on Friday and FDA made desperate attempts to clarify its infamous U-turn. If the positive test is attributed to the natural amounts of formalin found in marine fish which are negligent, than even the first test would have indicated so. Be aware, tests are being done to trace contamination.
Does anyone care? If the government is so concerned about the safety of its citizens, then why are there no checks in place despite the alarming situation?
No clarification could be good enough since FDA has given a green signal to the levels of formalin in the fish samples, despite knowing the fact the it is a Class 1 carcinogenic agent. The second test report of the Authority clearly states that the fish is fit for human consumption since samples are found within permissible limits.
In this context, the Assam government must be commended for immediately enforcing a 10-day ban on all fish imports after it found presence of formalin. For any government, the health of its citizens should come first, even if it means destroying fish worth crores of rupees. Lives and health of people are priceless and at a time when their trust is breached, the only way to restore it is by undertaking extensive tests at regular intervals.
From FDA to lobbies, Goans have been let down by a deeply corroded system. A system where health of its citizens is considered secondary and the losses on contaminated fish have taken precedence. A system which is muddied by political interference at every stage.
Going forward, abstaining from fish cannot be a practical solution, especially because fish is in the DNA of every Goan. And even with formalin detecting kits, it would still mean people will have to discard precious fish every time it is tested positive for contamination. Formalin kits would only reflect a sign of no-trust against a system, at a time when health of the common man is compromised.
While the people of Goa are left with a feeling of betrayal, they still have every right to know every minute detail. People have a right to know the findings and the reasons why the FDA could not find formalin in the second test. People have a right to demand that every single truck be tested in the open for contamination before it’s unloaded at the wholesale market. There are lessons to be learnt and there are some lessons to be taught.
