PANAJI
In the 1970s, Anjuna it was where the 'flower children' arrived and in a way sowed the seeds of what is today Goa's chaotic, poorly regulated and jaded with lawlessness, tourism.
Ironically, more than half a century later, it could be the very same Anjuna that breaks the back of the industry which depends and thrives on the millions that come here every year.
The recent judgement of the Bombay High Court at Goa, ordering the panchayat to seal 175 establishments doing business and conducting commercial activity, strikes at the heart of business in Anjuna, arguably the epicentre of Goa's tourism landscape.
The panchayat led by its young and lanky Sarpanch, Laximidas Chimulkar, is "dutifully" going about this task, sealing between 7-15 of these establishments a day.
"Yes 175 outlets will be sealed as directed by the Court. The panchayat's teams are going around sealing these establishments. Today alone we have sealed about 15," Chimulkar told The Goan.
"We will dutifully implement the High Court order," the sarpanch said.
In the village, meanwhile, there have been mixed reactions to the development. While some have welcomed it and are thankful to the High Court for the judgement which they say will finally bring some rule of law to the mayhem unleashed by the tourism businesses, those in it have expectedly raised the banner of protest demanding that the government step in to save their livelihoods. A bandh was organised to demonstrate their angst and the government has, at least verbally, assured them of doing something to intervene -- either by taking recourse to challenging the judgement before the Supreme Court and/or tweaking the regulations.
Bulk in 'Romeo Lane' on
cliff above Ozrant beach
Bulk of the establishments which are being sealed lie in a lane which post the Covid pandemic came to be given the nomenclature of 'Romeo Lane'.
"What sort of nomenclature is this? 'Romeo Lane' ? There's nothing 'Goan' about it. It used to be a pristine area," said one of the residents of the area which lies on a cliff sandwiched between the Ozran beach and the plateau which has come to be identified as the venue of the infamous 'Sunburn' Electronic Dance Music (EDM) festival.
While most of the structures and venues are owned by locals, the commercial operations in them are being run by non-Goan businessmen which has now become the norm almost everywhere in coastal North Goa where tourism thrives.
In the Anjuna panchayat hierarchy, it is Ward No 1, and is represented by three-time panch, Dinesh Patil.
Patil, is one of the signatories on the 'panchanama' pasted on the gates of all these sealed premises.
Straw that broke
the camel's back
According to the Anjuna sarpanch, Laximidas Chimulkar, the more than a year-long proceeding in the Bombay High Court was sparked off by an atrociously brazen move of one establishment which has a pre-CRZ regulation structure, to build an extension on the seaward side, complete with a plinth, pillars and a concrete platform.
Days after the work began, complaints started pouring in and a team of the panchayat which visited the site was confronted by the owner, Agusta D'Souza, who warned that if action is taken against her work, she would spill the beans about all the establishments operating illegally in the village.
Within days a complainant one Majumdar, wrote a letter to the High Court Judges, following which a suo-motu petition was instituted and the rest is history, leading up to the order directing sealing of 175 establishments, he added.
Poison for some,
food for others
As mentioned earlier, the Bombay High Court at Goa directing the Anjuna panchayat to seal 175 structures so that these cannot be used for commercial activity, is the death knell for those operating and earning their livelihoods from these establishments.
However, for a good number of other Anjuna residents, it has sprung a ray of hope that the calm and sanity of their village will return after decades of mayhem and noise disturbing their day-to-day lives.
This is the second such positive step coming from the High Court just two months after the judgement which directed the authorities to crack the whip against loud music and noise pollution after 10 pm, some residents who welcomed the judgement told The Goan.
Meanwhile, not everyone in Anjuna is rejoicing. In fact there is gloom and seething anger among several of those who own these premises and depend on them for their livelihood and provide for their families. While none of them were willing to speak to us on record, they claimed most were structures of their ancestors built before 1991 when the CRZ regulations first came in.
In almost all cases these were basic residential homes, some even thatched houses, but over the years modified and extended to operate commercial, tourism-related activity, they admitted.
They said they are currently discussing with their lawyers the way forward, including possibly challenging the High Court order before the Supreme Court of India.
