Saturday, 19 April 2014

The Money-Spenders




(31 Dec ’06)
            Over lunch, my acquaintance, the neuro-surgeon told me that he and several others spend several weekends a year in Goa. These are folk who spend other weekends out of the country, who earn in rupees, dollars, riyals, pounds; for whom money is never an issue. They’re up-market tourists, who do not cringe or bargain if the price is right, if the quality is good. Be it of a place to stay, food to eat, whatever. They’re the kind of tourists our government would like to attract. They’re the kind of people the Goan government would like to invite to settle and work here. They’re the kind of people any government would woo. Well educated, well placed, great contributors to society. Why would they choose Goa to visit, if they had a choice? Well, he said, (and the others who sat with him, nodded in agreement) mainly for the tall, giant trees. “But,” he continued, “now the drive is rapidly getting more brown than green. And I see the kind of buildings I get to see in Mumbai. The charm is waning.”
            Another added, “Whilst driving in a forest through south Karnataka, towards Kerala, the foliage was so thick, the sunlight was kept out so effectively that we felt like using the car lights at 1 in the afternoon.” This used to be true in certain parts of Goa, but no longer. These are the charms that attracted the tourists to the state. The beaches, yes, but the tourists want more. And that more isn’t brown ugliness. By all means have the IT parks…in the more arid areas. (Actually, Porvorim should have been made into one such).
            I’m not against roads, industry, progress. Nor am I a great one for preserving unique cultures. But I feel bad that my grandchildren won’t get to eat a good muddushi because my generation messed up with the sea. I haven’t tasted the kalyera khaapaan that my mom’s sisters dined on in their childhood. Nor the tiny motian kalwaan. Who knows, even the lowly kokum might not survive the onslaught of the builders’ lobby. Already the malkuraad is on its way out as is the kallo ishaad mango. So what does this have to do with deforestation? Deforestation means cutting down trees that take years, centuries to grow. Just as good coconuts, mangoes, chickoos, take generations to create wealth for a family or clan, so also forests take a long, long time to create wealth for a village or country. Just as one generation can ruin the wealth of a family, so also, a single government or politician can ruin Goa. Unless everyone’s alert.
            If we want the money spenders to come to us for a long, long time, we have to protect what they’re coming here for. If we want our children to enjoy what we are enjoying right now, we need to be careful that we don’t squander away what our ancestors left for us.
            So what does that have to do with people building houses near the sea? Or cutting trees? It means we won’t be able to enjoy those beaches. It means we won’t be able to enjoy certain kinds of fish. For those fish possibly eat the seaweeds or little creatures that live by the shore. If that feed perishes, the fish dies.
            In a roundabout way, those like you and I are being taken for a big ride. 
            Back to the conversation with my colleague. “I have several Goan friends who went back to their home state because it appeared to be so perfect. They’re pretty disenchanted. The only thing good that’s happened recently is that big Save Goa meeting at Azad Maidan. If that’s Goan attitude, it’s worth giving it a cheer. I’ll keep track of what’s happening in Goa.”
            Correct collective action by the ordinary people will bring back the money spenders.
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