Good? Bad? Ugly?
Moral Externalities of Coastal Tourism
by Nandkumar Kamat
March17, 2008
There is no danger to Goa's morally, socially and legally subsidised tourism as long as the international community (EU members, USA and the Anti-Narcotics arm of the UN) brings pressure on the Indian government to cleanse Goa's tourism sector. Perhaps the British Parliament would be as sensitive to the drugs and crime scene in Goa as it has been to the condition of the last few surviving Indian tigers.
The tourist belt from Sinquerim to Mandrem enjoys a certain degree of autonomy. This is Goa's oldest "Special Economic zone" It has its own parallel government, an unwritten "constitution" and a powerful parallel economy (drugs, sex, gambling, contraband goods, small weapons and
a booming antique trade), which helps to sustain the local people. The Russians have established a small kingdom in Morjim and even dared to hoist their national flag on Indian
territory to declare their autonomy. Elsewhere, it is not uncommon to see foreign flags flying on top of certain shacks leased to or owned by the foreigners.
The parallel economy runs so smoothly that even the coast guard and Indian defence sleuths would be caught napping if they raid the night assemblies at the three islands in the Mormugao bay. These islands have become clandestine dropping and pickup points. The off-coastal safaris and dolphin watching, fishing and angling, coral hunting trips are not monitored by any of the security agencies. The geography of this belt has been rewritten by junkies that is how you find funky names of places like Tel Aviv valley, Disco valley, "Nirvana beach" and orgasm grove.
The government of India has no objections as long as unchecked mass tourism in Goa ensures a healthy flow of foreign exchange - officially placed at Rs 3000 crore per year. But it is just a matter of time before the central government comes to its senses and orders a hectic cleaning operation. It would have to be on the same lines and of the same magnitude as the Operation Vijay that was launched to liberate Goa. The national security advisor would have to open his sub-office at Anjuna very soon.
The followers of the teachings of Syed Kutb and Osama Bin Laden have studied and found a perfect target in this degraded tourist society of jahiliya. The Karnataka police discovered the plot to carry out four bomb (IED) explosions in this jahiliya belt. The plot might have been aborted but some other module of terrorists is likely to complete the job in a much more disguised and sophisticated manner in future unless the state asserts its powers with all its might and strikes at the foundation of this autonomous alternative society. But the spineless politicians of Goa are too scared to light the fuse. They have always closed their eyes to the
naked reality of coastal tourism. They are helpless because almost every political party has workers and supporters benefiting from this autonomous society.
It is a symbiotic relationship parasitising the Goan society. The negative externalities of Goa's tourism - crime, drugs, sex, gambling are now slowly surfacing with their complex
hidden dimensions. There are any number of mass movements to protect Goa's physical landscape. But who would cleanse and protect the moral landscape? Cleansing
the coastal tourist belt of the dangerous and infectious social evils is not listed on the agenda of any movement, which appeals to Save Goa. Environmental movements also indirectly recognise the autonomous nature and the power of the coastal tourist society.
The autonomy enjoyed by this belt is possible because of three types of subsidies First, the social subsidy, the accommodation and tolerance by the local people who smelt windfall income from beach tourism. Second, the moral subsidies liberally granted by the religious leaders who are afraid of losing their support because practical economic offers make more sense to the people than moral and spiritual lectures. Third, the legal subsidies extended by the state, which actually are not expected to show mercy to anyone breaking the law.
So the directorate of commercial taxes or the revenue intelligence department, customs and excise officials would not consider it their business to raid the flea markets and the night bazaars and check for themselves the source of goods, type of trade and the legality of the economic transactions. The proverbial "long arm" of the law gets paralysed when it comes to touching this autonomous society.
There must be a mountain of dossiers in the home department and every home secretary knows the ground reality as well as the high stakes involved. Sensational cases like that of Scarlette Keeling surface occasionally like media tsunamis but once their momentum is lost then it is back to "business".
The problem is that there are thousands of God-fearing and non-corrupt local people who derive some sort of income from coastal tourism. They are forced to co-exist with a corrupt and morally bankrupt system. It is too late for them to look out for any alternate employment as no alternatives exist. That is how alternative marketing systems like Anjuna's flea market get social approval.
Drugs are openly sold but the local people do not wish to drive out these dealers. Gambling in all forms rakes in millions but the local people have no moral fibre to stop it. Sex trade thrives but there are no complaints as long as local women are not exploited. The short-term selfishness of tourism -dependent local people has come as a shot in the arm for the founders, promoters and sustainers of the autonomous coastal tourist society.
The Israelis are happy. The Russians are rejoicing. The Swedish, the Germans, the Greeks respect the "freedom" that the local people have granted to them. It is an ideal social sanctuary. The British, despite the bad press, are determined to return.
Ultimately, the Goan society would have to pay a big price for the accumulated and unaccounted negative moral externalities. What is the government's idea of a healthy,
sustainable tourism? What is the people's idea of a healthy, morally responsible and socially accountable tourism? Neither the government nor the people have answers to these basic questions. Everyone is engaged in looking at the statistics. The industry wants more business. The government sets higher targets. Who would internalise the mounting negative externalities?
For how long will the wealth from tourism be generated with hidden social, moral and legal subsidies? What kind of ugly chimera would emerge from the autonomous coastal society? Do we really need tourism, which supports drugs, sex trade, gambling, drinking and a blindly hedonic lifestyle just because it generates wealth?
Moral externalities of tourism in Goa would spell a disaster for the whole country. But it would be too late when this fact is recognised.
