Goa no longer safe for tourists?

Goa no longer safe for tourists?
Preetu Nair, TNN

PANJIM: Goa has always had its share of tourist troubles — from the nudist beaches of the sixties to drug peddling, and more recently, to
pedophilia rackets. But the spike in murder and rape incidents in the last two months has darkened the mood in this otherwise charming and peaceful coastal state.

Under threat is the beach. That sandy magnet which attracts solo backpackers, families and young groups from all over the world, has become the site of unnatural deaths. As attack after attack of rape and unnatural drowning has hit the news, the sense of dismay has grown among the tourists and locals. It has forced the Goa government, which is in a perpetual state of political intrigue, to take a hard look at a scenario where there are five lakh tourists every year and only 68 tourist police personnel to be of assistance.

In the last two years, more than 126 foreign tourists have died in Goa. The figures of the Goa Police's Foreigners Branch reveal that 55 foreigners died during 2006, 59 in 2007 and 12 in the first two months of 2008. Scarlette Keeling's death it appears is only the latest in a string of crime.

• A 32-year-old British woman was raped on January 12 allegedly by an unknown person in Panjim.
• Two British women were sexually assaulted by the owner of a resort, a Russian woman was attacked by a beach cafe owner in south Goa and a Finnish woman alleged that two local men threatened to rape her at a beach shack.
• Two Japanese tourists Urano Asaki and Keigo Yashiki died of drug abuse early this month.

"Sexual harassment in public places is routine, even if you are with your partner. Men stare at you and pass lewd comments. The police are not at all helpful. I am scared to go to the Anjuna or Vagator beach after sunset," said American tourist Dakini Runningbear, who says she was drugged and robbed at Anjuna.

But police officials say that foreign tourists cannot afford to simply point the finger. They allege that foreigners have little respect for local values and dress codes and come to the state only for trance parties on the beach, fuelled by drugs and alcohol.

But others feel that a zero-tolerance approach to drugs is the only way to get rid of the rot. "The majority of deaths occur due to drug abuse," said Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Nitin Kunkolienkar. "Rape and sexual abuse are interlinked with drug abuse. If the government really wants to control this, they need to seriously take on the local drug lords rather than watch helplessly. Goa can only become the best tourist destination if the government acts on the intelligence reports it has gathered against drug abuse."

SP (Tourist Police) Waman Tari downplayed the issue. "Goa is safe," he stated. This view is maintained even by the Goa Tourism Development Corporation Ltd managing director Sanjith Rodrigues. However, Rodrigues admits that foreigners need to be more careful about whom they befriend. "Security needs to be tightened and people should also be careful," he added.
9 Mar 2008, The Times of India, Goa edition