In a shocking incident of violence along Goa’s coast, two local fishermen from Candolim were reportedly brutally assaulted by tourists at Sinquerim Beach on Friday. It is learnt that the victims, who were engaged in their routine fishing activities, were allegedly harassed by the tourists. The tourists wanted to take selfies with fishing rods, which was refused by the fishermen, which resulted in a scuffle. Goans are all too familiar with wild animal-human confrontation, as these animals enter human habitat in search of prey since their rightful space in the forests has been invaded by humans. Now there has been a disturbing rise in confrontation between human beings. Confrontation between tourists and locals, to be precise.
Fontainhas, Panaji’s historic “Latin Quarters”, was in the news because of disruptions and friction with residents due to disrespectful behaviour from some visitors, particularly regarding photography and littering. This has many times led to verbal and physical altercations, prompting calls for increased police presence in the heritage neighbourhood. There have been several instances of altercation between tourists reported along the coastal belt, on the beaches and on the roads. There have been fights reported outside casino jetties in Panaji. Not to mention fights between locals and tourists along the famous Parra road.
There could be several reasons for the high-handed behaviour of the tourists when they visit Goa. These tourists could be coming from influential families in their home state. They could be family members of politicians or even police officers back home. This probably gives them the feeling that they cannot be touched by the Goa police. Even if they are apprehended, they could be getting off scot-free due to pressure from their relatives back home. There is a lack of fear of the law among the tourists. These tourists could even be looking down upon Goans as those less worthy of respect. This mindset of the tourists needs to change. The only way to do it would be for the police to take strict action against the culprits and not treat them with kid gloves.
