(23 Dec ‘07)
It began with so much
of rain, and because of a family commitment…we had to cancel the train journey
and come to Goa by air, a rare treat. What was interesting is that GoAir, that
fine new low-cost airline didn’t believe in announcing its flight. We walked
into Security because we were bored of sitting in the airport lobby. Yes, of
course, the flight was delayed, we didn’t know why or for how long. There, we
found some faces that appeared to be on our flight and we were ushered into the
frisking process. We’d barely settled across the other side, when we found the
same people walking up to the exit, showing their tickets to a staffer who was
guiding them into a bus. The mike spoke of all flights but ours. The number on
the board didn’t match ours, either. We asked the uniformed fellows at the
counter and he confirmed that our flight was parked on the runway, ready for
take-off. But, we pointed out, this number on the board is something else.
That’s okay, he said, it’s been like that for four days. Ha, no one had thought
of covering it up, blanking it out, even putting up a blackboard and writing on
it with chalk, or at least sending a person to call out loudly, flight 105, so
passengers could move. Low cost really shouldn’t mean no quality at all. I was
terribly worried the pilots might have bought their licences and not know how
to fly the plane at all. There I was pleasantly surprised. In spite of the
turbulence and the visibility, the flight and the landing were smooth.
Better things were in
store. The airport’s pre-paid counter worked well. The taxi driver was pleasant
and friendly.
Now I have hope that
the local rickshaws will go by the meter, sometime. And the private buses will
improve so everyone needn’t own a vehicle.
Moving on to mundane
living in Goa. We had applied for a transfer of a phone connection from Sangolda
to Panjim. We went to check on what had happened. A Mr. Bhushan at the Panjim
office was so helpful that we were taken aback. He looked at our papers, called
up the Mapusa office and asked us to quickly go there and meet a Mr. Baid. This
latter gent was as helpful. We learnt later that they’d put us through a
longish procedure which possibly could have been avoided. But the point was,
they came across as caring and efficient workers. They were quick, they were
concerned. They certainly restored our faith that there are enough Goans around
who make this state work in spite of politicians who come and go.
As always, I wish the
billboards would go, wish the architects/engineers would build pretty buildings
instead of the monstrosities that are marring certain areas. There are
residential buildings all over the place. Who’s living in them? Everybody we
met complained about Delhi-ites coming in and buying off ancestral homes. Look
at those ancestral homes, they’re dying. At least let some good new owners get
them cleaned, painted, repaired, modernized.
Panjim still doesn’t
have a raddiwala system in place who will come and collect or buy recyclable
material. That’ll help many homes segregate their garbage. Making rules isn’t
enough, there has to be a system in place that will help people follow those
rules. And if those rules are to be successfully enforced, target the source, I
say. For example, if we don’t want thin plastic bags to be used, don’t issue
licences to the manufacturers. If you don’t want people to smoke and you’re
serious, stop cultivation of tobacco and production of cigarettes. Anyone have
the courage to do that?
A dear doctor friend,
Sandip G, had quit a lucrative future and returned to his roots. He’s now taken
an assignment abroad because Goa couldn’t really offer him an infrastructure
for his qualifications. I hope by the time his tenure is done, it can. Another
friend, Dr. Yatin Vaidya has also struck root after acquiring education and
experience in Mumbai. Setting up practice in a place with such a good
doctor-patient ratio isn’t going to be easy. Vrindavan, Apollo, Vintage appear
to be making headway, and I hope in the years to come Goans won’t have to
travel out for good medical facilities. Most of all, I hope GMC turns around.
Let the professionals handle it, and choose good ones to do that, keep the
politicians out, and well it might.
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