Goa is one of the most visited and much-loved tourist places in India. It is the smallest Indian state, but one of the biggest attractions for Indian and foreign tourists.
Goa is also called India’s paradise. It is known for its striking landscapes, famous beaches, astounding monuments and churches and bustling Goa nightlife. Beaches are the best part in Goa, where you can rejuvenate yourself.
People make frequent trips to Goa to relax and enjoy the nightlife. It works like a stress buster for most of the people, by doing something as simple as sitting on the beach and enjoying some drinks and munches, amidst the soft, gentle winds.
What led Goa to lose its “cheers”?
“We received a lot of complaints, both from tourists as well as locals, about people cutting themselves on broken liquor bottles while walking on the beaches as well as swimming in the sea. Therefore we have given instructions to the police to crack down severely on drinking of alcohol on beaches,” as told by Superintendent of Police, Karthik Kashyap.
“A lot of people are facing inconvenience due to this nuisance of drinking in the open,” he said, adding that anyone found drinking in public will be booked under Sec 34 of the Indian Police Act.
Though the news of banning drinking liquor in public places in Goa initially shocked people; it has been met with mixed reactions overall. So, Throb, a social opinion platform from Throb Ventures, conducted a poll to capture the reactions of the people and found that 63% of the people are supporting this move, as they feel it will make the beaches clean and reduce the nuisance created by people in drunken state, resulting in decline in the accidents caused by the drink and drive cases.
As per Throb, some people are of the opinion that ‘Indians don’t limit their drinking capacity. Unlike their western counterparts, they have no control over themselves. They get drunk easily and create nuisance, so it is a good move by the government to restrict drinking, especially in tourist places.’
Around 21% of the people are against the ‘no-alcohol’ ban at public places, as it does not guarantee any sure shot solution to the problem. They also stated that, ‘instead of banning alcohol, the government should try to curb the drug-mafia racket spread across the state, which is a greater threat than consumption of alcohol.’
Few others voiced their opinion saying that this move will directly impact the state’s revenue, as its main source of income is through alcohol. Furthermore, soft drink distributors are facing hardships as most of their clients are liquor dealers.
Well, we need to wait and see how effective and fruitful this ban turns out to be. It surely will result in the restriction of the freedom of individual, as those drinking in public might end up in jail, but definitely will not dampen the spirit of Goa.
Anyways, the question still remains- Why Indian tourist places cannot be fun, liberal and safe at the same time?