Going, going, gone – is what an auctioneer says before bringing down the mallet to seal a bid. Outside the IPL auctions, this action is rarely seen today. However, I am familiar with this process because my family was in this business from 1858 to 1988.
My Uncle Stan, who was blessed with the gift of the gab, was adept at raising the bid for the benefit of the owner. It is legendary how he got a husband and wife, in different parts of the auction arena, to outbid each other. There is also the apocryphal story of the talking parrot that raised the bid for its own sale!
Enough of auctioneering. This is about Goa, occasioned by several media reports, in the run up to Christmas/ New Year that Goa had gone to the dogs. Both foreign and domestic tourists were foregoing it as they found Vietnam and Thailand cheaper and friendlier. Though my great grandfather left Goa circa 1854, and I know more Malayalam than Konkani, yet a small spark of Goa still burns in me.
That spark was fanned by the negative media blitz. There were reports of the exorbitant rates for taxis and food, the mounds of garbage and litter on the beaches, the potholed roads and raucous Delhi-ites snapping up property at rates that the locals could ill-afford.
Last month I had the opportunity to find out for myself. This is because I needed a break from the severe north Indian cold in Kanpur, where I live. It was causing havoc to my legs that had suddenly developed some inflammatory pain three months earlier. So I was looking forward to warmer climes, wading in the soothing sea water and getting the famous Kerala ayurvedic massage.
My wife and I spent 10 days with our daughter and her family in Arpora near Baga beach in north Goa. I got to wade in the sea and the massages did wonders to my weakened legs.
Now for my experiences. We drove to the southern tip of Goa to Talpona Beach bordering on Karnataka. We also drove to other parts of Goa, including my ancestral village, Aldona. Barring some small stretches where pipes were being laid, the roads were in excellent condition. Politicians would have compared them to Hema Malini’s or Priyanka Gandhi’s cheeks, depending on which side of the political divide they were. How cheeky of me. I feel that Goans crib too much. Please see the state of the roads in other parts of India, including our Prime Minister’s constituency of Varanasi and you will stop complaining so much.
As for the taxis; it is a genuine grouse. The taxi mafia is a strong vote bank. They are not allowing Ola or Uber to enter the State. That competition would automatically reduce rates. The taxi mafia is being both selfish and myopic. If high rates shoo off the tourists then they are killing the goose that lays the golden eggs. Why is the Goa political class so afraid of the taxi mafia? If they lose their votes they will gain many more from the direct beneficiaries of lower fares.
The Goa Govt also needs to think out of the box in its urban planning or lack of it. Other than the cities of Panaji, Mapusa, Margao and Vasco, the rest of Goa is governed by the local Village Panchayats (VPs). They cannot look beyond their noses. So the State Govt needs to take the bull by the horns. There was a time when Goa had a unique system of motorcycle taxis called “pilots”. They are rarely seen now. I saw very few auto rickshaws. The electric ones produced by standard companies like Bajaj and Piaggio were conspicuous by their absence. The Govt could also do a feasibility study for a rapid ferry service along the coast and rivers. Electric mini buses could also be introduced.
The bane of Goan roads that wind through the villages is the speed breakers, sometimes just 25 metres apart. The access roads to both airports are now well developed, but alternate roads that bypass the villages should be considered. Take the arterial CHOGM Road from Porvorim to Calangute. It was built during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) when Indira Gandhi was Prime Minister. Please invite Nitin Gadkari to Goa.
As for the litter and garbage, that again comes under the domain of the VPs. They need to be trained in solid waste management and composting of biodegradable waste. They need a push lest they be pushed over the edge of the cliff. The VP heads are no pushovers. I saw a white Jaguar SUV that belonged to one of them.
From where are these VP sarpanches getting so much money? Obviously from tourism, real estate and casinos; those are the cash cows. Corruption is endemic. In politics Ayaram and Gayaram began in Haryana 40 years ago. Now it is Aya Lobo, Gaya D’souza. Last time around a naïve Rahul Baba took his MLAs to temples and churches to swear that they wouldn’t defect after being elected. To no avail, as filthy lucre was more powerful than the fear of divine displeasure.
Four centuries of Catholicism does not seem to have impacted their moral fibre. They are not alone though. Catholic majority countries in south and central America, as also the Philippines, the only one in Asia, have relatively higher levels of corruption and violence. So what if 7 million devotees stood in orderly queues to pay obeisance to Goycho Saib Francis Xavier.
Another charge levelled in Goa is the high charges for eating out. We did visit a few restaurants and spent one night in a resort. Other than the last resort, I found the price of food and drink quite reasonable. Since I am soft (not in the head) my quaff was limited to lime and soda. No feni or beer. The average cost was Rs 40/-. In contrast in a mid-level restaurant in Kanpur it would have been Rs 100/-. An excellent fish thali was just Rs 250/-. So food is reasonably priced if you know where to go.
Besides the crumbed fish and the local poyee bread, roast tongue is a traditional Goan delicacy. I found the best value for money at Bluemoon on Corjuem island across the river at Aldona. The best ambience was at Joe’s River Cove along the river at Cavelossim. Mac’s along National Highway 66 at Concoulim was another excellent joint. But I was disappointed with Xavier’s Café in Mapusa market, with its geriatric waiters; though the caramel custard dessert was class.
If there is one area that I would fault the Goans for, especially the Catholics, is their inability or aversion to doing business. The cashew shops all had Gujarati names. The Peace Garden Resort that we stayed at in Talpona was owned by a Nepali.
Talpona was a pristine, spotlessly clean beach. Women with brooms and baskets were cleaning up. A unique experience there was with a German couple in their eighties – Rudolf and Marianna. They were travelling around the world in their 1989 model Mercedes camper that has 16 gears. Rudolf told me that he believed in Mahatma Gandhi’s minimalist way of life. We Indians need to take heed.
Before concluding I revert to my ancestral village of Aldona. It is probably the only village in the world that has two of its sons as cardinals – Filip Neri Ferrao of Goa and Joseph Coutts (Coutto) of Karachi, Pakistan. I first met both of them at the 400th anniversary of the parish church in 1995. Another unique feature of this church is that it is named after St Thomas, normally associated with Kerala. Above the altar there is a Konkani inscription “Mhojea Somia ani Mhojea Deva” (My Lord and my God); St Thomas’ post Resurrection faith acclamation (cf Jn 20:28). The entrance to the cemetery has another unique inscription “Aiz maka falia tuka” (Today me, tomorrow you).
Today I visited Goa; tomorrow you too should do so. Don’t believe the negative media hype. Check it out for yourself. If Kerala is known as God’s own country, then Goa is God’s vineyard. For Goa is far from going, going, gone!
- Also read “The Graipe of Goa” and “Roller Coaster” by this writer.
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