The other day, the great cashew festival concluded at Campal, Panaji. I was a witness to the huge crowd that participated in the festival. After staying for a while, we decided to get back home through a short cut and out of the venue. Sadly, when we did so, we had to pass by huge piles of garbage that was collected in just one day of the festival. So, the issue here is, one, can Goa sustain so much garbage with the number of festivals and events taking place in this state in every nook and corner, not to mention the Dayanand Bandodkar ground, Campal? And secondly, if we can attend these festivals in hoards, why are so few people participating in protests taking place all over the state? Is entertainment a bigger issue to us than caring for our state? The powers that be don’t care for Goa “ be the Centre or the State, but it is time we joined movements that do. Our land is beautiful, let us not just throw it away and let it be exploited just for entertainment. Very soon we will be floating in the contaminated waters just like the fish in Mala lake. Utt Goemkara, don’t be blinded by these government-sponsored events.
