MARGAO
Plans to hold the controversial Sunburn music festival in South Goa echoed at the gram sabha meetings of Salcete village panchayats on Sunday with the festival coming in for strong objection from the members.
Be it at the meeting held at Rachol, Davorlim or Dramapur-Sirlim, members of the gram sabhas were unanimous in their opposition to the Sunburn festival.
At the Davorlim gram sabha chaired by Sarpanch Saeish Rajadyax, members raised their hands to oppose Sunburn when the resolution was read out by gram sabha member Andrew Rebello.
At the Rachol gram sabha meeting chaired by Sarpanch Joseph Vaz, the gram sabha members deliberated and discussed upon the proposed Sunburn festival in South Goa and unanimously passed a resolution to oppose the grant of permission by the Government of Goa.
Grams sabha member Diana Tavares highlighted the issues that would arise if the Sunburn festival is granted permission, pointing out that the Sunburn is generally known as drugs festival as it is impossible to conduct this festival without drugs.
She said the past records/statistics/data of the organisers has been found to be very irresponsible and bad in taste. “The drugs were available in and around the venue and there has been instances of rapes and deaths. The influx of a large number of attendees poses potential risk to public health, women and girl’s safety, and accidents due to intoxication of drugs,” Diana further pointed out.
Saying the festival has high potential to influence our youth to get into drug consumption and drug business, ruining the future of our communities, the gram sabha member further said families and communities will have to face the consequences throughout their lives. “It will have a massive, impermissible impact on our environment, generate waste, create noise pollution, and strain the local resources. As per the fast-changing world and serious threats to our culture and society, this type of highly destructive festivals should be banned completely,” the resolution added.
The gram sabha members have requested the panchayat to write to the Tourism Department and Government of Goa attaching this resolution and demanding not to allow this Sunburn festival in the State of Goa.
Sarpanch Joseph later told the media that Rachol panchayat has till date not received any proposal for holding the festival in the village, saying the panchayat will oppose the festival in the village.
The issue also came up for discussion at the Dramapur-Sirlim gram sabha chaired by Sarpanch Avita Pereira. Gram sabha members led by former Sarpanch Dominic Noronha opposed Sunburn, pointing out that the festival will have an effect on the local culture, heritage and environment.
