It's almost the 'very happening' season in Goa currently. One when the rest of the world comes to see Goa, and we don't need to go anywhere to encounter the rest of the planet (as our ex-Bombay friends cartoonist Alexyz and team would joke). Therefore, you'd think that Goa gains the most from it, right? Wrong. Far from it.
November-December sees Goa at its most crowded. Expect the roads to be congested and make for very many slow, delayed unpleasant rides. (That the authorities have decided to work on the roads at peak times of the day, in peak season, at Porvorim and elsewhere, really doesn't help.) Prices are at their costliest. Mobile networks are clogged. Expats returning for their wintering holiday have reason to grumble. Tourists on short visits feel as unwelcome and overcharged as the first Christmas family did some two thousand years ago.
Clearly, Goa runs on auto-pilot, laissez faire mode. Not only that, Goa seems unable to play the role of a neutral umpire, keeping in mind its own long-term self-interest, and what could help it over time.
There are so many things happening these days, all over the State. In one of the WhatsApp groups which this columnist runs -- WhatsOninGoa -- we focus on upcoming events happening in different parts of Goa. A glance at the items that come up in Goa show the wealth of time and talent that the State has the potential to lure.
Brazilian food. Online talk on fostering independence in children. Composting and gardening for self-sustainability. A children's choir at Tivim (more coming up in the series). An on-going exhibition of film posters. A workshop on sound plug-ins. Performances by The Singing Dutchman. Open mic events. New made-by-villagers markets. Music. Book release. And more. This is just a small sampling from a single day. So you can imagine what all is possible, and the range of events happening here.
So far, with or without our politicians, Goa has the brand which lures in talent from across the globe. That is a given. But this is not enough. What is also needed is to build up an ability where (i) the talent of those coming in is duly recognised (ii) we have platforms to foster and encourage such exchanges (iii) most is made of each such event, so that youngsters (or, not so youngsters, when life-long learning is anyway a reality worldwide) can learn max from such events.
We still see info-gaps in tiny Goa. The left hand does not know what the right hand is doing. People learn of an event long after it is over; all those who could have gained from it don't end up there. Recordings are seldom made to preserve such knowledge for posterity. We today have little excuse to not record, with smartphones being so ubiquitous.
A small State like Goa could seriously look to the potential of life-long and online learning. We need to go beyond cliches here. A lot of time, money and energy has been spent over past many years to give students access to hardware, and build infrastructure. Is this enough?
So far, the official model of building "creativity" in Goa is to craft plans through officials or politicians. Then, work on these behind closed doors. Finally, spend crores of rupees to implement the same. Then, if needed, empty halls are filled up with hastily-gathered crowds. We are only fooling ourselves. This is not scalable. It is also unproductive.
Instead, the government -- if it is to play any role at all -- and its agencies can work as facilitators. To help people to take up their own initiatives, create fora where ideas can be exchanged, and barefoot 'cultural entrepreneurs' can be created. Even a single individual like Mario (Marius) Fernandes of Divar, has shown what is possible in his field. He has brought people together, organised scores of 'people's festivals' and demonstrated how such initiatives can be largely built on passion alone.
Goa is what it is (the negatives apart) not because of some grand plans by its rulers. It has managed to surface and shine because of what its people attained.
Now, we have the chance of skills coming in from other areas, which can be built upon, and skillfully utilised. At some level, there is a fear of the 'outsider', and even the motives of those gifting us with what we see as a Trojan horse. Agreed, this is a calculated risk.
Some of those whom we trusted in the past have let us down. They came in with grand promises, only to prove to be rather selfish, non-sharing and manipulative. But Goa will need to take a risk on this, and learn to work in collaboration with those who bring in their skills here.
Goa, with all its diversity, and ability to absorb influences from here and there and everywhere is an ideally suited place. We are also reminded by anthropologist and folklorist Ruth Benedict: "The crucial differences which distinguish human societies and human beings are not biological. They are cultural."
So, it's time for Goa to focus on the fields that matter -- culture, art, cuisine, biodiversity and sustainability. At the same time, it needs to make efforts to rope in skills on contemporary global topics like technology, wellness, innovation and the creative industries.
Many factors need to also be addressed: developing iconic annual events; involving local communities; creating diverse and inclusive formats; building vibrant and accessible venues; fostering partnerships with knowledge leaders; tapping public and private support; gamifying participation; and focussing (not just on inputs and expenditures but) on long-term outcomes.
Much depends on how Goa gate-keeps this talent.
