In a video that went viral two Punjab tourists were seen speeding along the Coco beach in Nerul on bikes crisscrossing into the seawater, basking in the sand and surf, and ignorant of the fact that riding on the beach is against the law. The last month-end, a car driver went berserk on Morjim beach only to find his vehicle drift into the sea.
Tourists using the beach stretch for fun or casual racing sorties, mostly in an inebriated condition, have been blatantly and freely violating the laws. It continues to be a common sight to see vehicles speeding full-throttle on the coast. The Nerul and Morjim incidents that have caught the public eye and evoked angry reactions are not the only cases.
The question is about the reigning discipline, creating awareness, enforcing the laws of the land and tightening rules for rent-out businesses. All of this could still fall flat if the State continues to ignore beach policing and rely on viral videos to track beach violations and crimes.
We have encountered two gang rapes along the beaches -- one in Betalbatim and another in Benaulim recently, followed by the sensational case of teenager Siddhi Naik's body being found in a semi-nude condition at Calangute beach. Beach policing is an issue that has been long debated. However, on the ground, nothing much has changed. It appears the system is tuned to accept anything and everything in the name of tourism and the economy.
The fact of the matter is that concessions given to tourists cannot be above the law, and Goans cannot be bystanders to such acts. We have seen enforcement look the other way when tourists swarmed beaches last year because their states were in the grips of Covid, and they found Goa a much safer destination. The protocol and social distancing were being mindlessly breached then. Yet, we saw the State administration turning a blind eye, while only exhorting its people to be cautious.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and Tourism Minister Manohar 'Babu' Ajgaonkar have warned of a crackdown on tourists riding on beaches. However, instead of cracking a whip, it would be sensible to launch a massive awareness campaign educating the tourist on our system. The tourist is clueless in Goa because he considers this to be a free territory. Educate them first, and then expect discipline. In the current case at Coco Beach Nerul, both tourists were summoned to the Porvorim police station, and they confessed having driven the scooters on Coco beach, unaware that riding of vehicles was not permitted on the beach.
Most importantly, fix responsibility on those in rent-a-car or rent-a-bike businesses. The law enforcement machinery has to tighten the nuts and bolts here. Vehicles straying on the coast should not only be seized and penalised but the owners must be made to face the law. Let’s not entirely blame the tourists if our internals are not right. It’s time we set the order right and then talk of cracking the whip.
