Like all projects, big and small, in India, the decision of the Goa government to allow the setting up of six new off-shore casinos to encourage attract foreign tourists has run into major trouble. Although only two licenses have been issued, fishing communities in South Goa are up in arms against the Leela Group which has been dredging the River Sal to anchor its vessel for the floating casino.
Protestors and environmentalists claim the desilting being carried out to allow its luxury vessel to berth along the hotel’s Cavelossin property, would disturb the river’s ecological balance and destroy the traditional fishermen’s harvest of shellfish and clams. The Church, which warns of the “social damage” of the casinos, and the Congress party too have backed the protests. The Congress had protested the then BJP government’s decision to allow Goa’s first offshore casino.
Questions: Are protests of this nature reasonable or are they becoming endemic under the “environment” banner? Are vested interests seeking to derail the new casinos by firing from the shoulders of fishermen? Is setting up floating casinos just a ruse to circumvent the law which bans gambling? Are governments wrong in setting up casinos to generate foreign exchange by wooing foreign tourists? Should locals be barred from gambling in offshore casinos as in Nepal so as to limit the “social damage” of the casinos?
Goa has a thriving tourism business already. In the last few years, builder mafias and migrants from various parts of the country and abroad have negatively impacted Goa’s image as a good holiday destination with a unique culture of its own. The crowded and dirty beaches of North Goa are getting dirtier and more crowded every day. You’ll be lucky to find one restaurant there that offers authentic Goan cuisine. Everything is being tailored to suit the taste of migrants. The casinos will only ruin things further. It’s nice for a change to see the local population putting up a fight, unlike in Bangalore or Mumbai which are figuring out that price of `progress’ can be quite heavy.
You are forgetting Mr. Guha:
The locals in Mumbai or Bangalor did try to put up a fight. What is Ka Ra Ve and Shiv Sena? When the Shiv Sena started off, it was genuinely a fight for the local people’s rights which were simply trampled upon in the name of cosmopolitanism, India is a free country et al. Whatever mutations the SS went through later on, please remember it started off as a fight for the local people. People of your ilk at the time refused to see the truth of much of what the SS and the KRV said and do say, and instead resorted to saying patronizingly that the local people were no good at doing anything, fit only to be clerks and bus conductors, drivers and cooks. Many even resorted to saying the locals were lazy and good-for-nothing-hence even needed the migrants and that the migrants did all the work. That Mumbai/Bangaluru were built only by non-locals; forgetting the very same people were unable to build much in their own states. Eery time the KRV indulges in so-called vandalism, please remember that they are doing exactly what you want them to do: put up a fight. Every time the SS is in some fracas or the other, recall that they are doing the same thing. The local populations of Mumbai and Bangalore did and still do try to put a fight-the English press mocks and criticizes them; often patronizingly and condescendingly-especially in the case of Mumbai. The local people of these two cities know that their counterparts in Bengal, TN, AP, KL, reserve all jobs-especially white collar jobs-for locals. I doubt there is a single white collar employee in any private company in Kerala who is a non-Malayali. KL companies hire Malayalis even if the company is outside Kerala. Notice that in Mumbai all the linesmen are all Malayalis. So too with MRF/BPL. TN and Bengal one does not even need to speak about. In WB, the non-Bengalis are only the hewers of wood and the drawers of water. It will do no good to speak about the Marwaris as they know that they dare not bring people from other states for white-collar jobs in large numbers. TN is the same, minus the marwaris.
The message is clear: The Maharashtrians and Kannadigas have suffered for actually believing that this is a country where all that matters is merit and it is genuinely a country where anyone can go anywhere and work. They have believed in the myth of cosmopolitanism-forgetting that the people who shout the loudest for cosmopolitainism (Tamils, Bengalis, Punjabis) are the most hardline when it comes to their own states. They use their language as a way of keeping people out or making their life so difficult that people feel reluctant to go there.
“Enivironmentalists” sponsored by Malaysia tourism/ Star Cruises
If India does not have casinoes, the chinese gamblers would be naturally attracted towards Genting Highlands…only casino in the Islamic nation of Malaysia…Also remeber that Star cruises, which runs cruises, has casinos which open once the vessel reaches international waters…for the same reason they have Mumbai- High seas- Mumbai cruises…they lose, if Leela group opens shop in Goa!
Small point to remember: Genting and Star cruises have the same owner!
(even the so called conservative Singapore realised this and started casinos, to prevent singapore money draining to M`sia)
Sugata,
A great post! I fully agree with you.
OTOH I support institutionalized betting in all forms–horse racing, sports–where the government can regulate and can collect revenue. This will at once kick out black money and all corruption (more or less).
Given the miserable conditions most Indians exist, a flutter on a horse race or legitimate cricket betting is a way out for some. Same with lotteries.
Sugata,
Am with you…
Doddi Buddi
I am with you on legalising gambling. For years my money has gone to balla circle, Eerulli and many others.
But i should warn you on the revenue front. If you go to a race course bookie and say you wanted to bet 1000 on a horse number 5. The lingo is to shout “100 on 5” (A zero is always omitted!! it helps both bookie and punter to save on tax). And as usual, the people from commercial tax office will be standing behind the booth to collect their “maamulu”)
Aruna,
Interesting–these bookies will not be needed at all. With institutionalized betting these bookies will be eliminated. Computer screens will automatically offer up to the minute odds and all ticket sales will carry a unique ID.