GMAS to tourists: "Leave Goa by Dec 27"

shahronakm

I had talk with one of my client in Goa & he said it will not have much impact on the tourism. He also said this is happening due to increase in land prices. The compensation given was at much lower rates as compared to current prices.

Hope the Goa govt. issues a statement which could reassure the tourists.

Ronak.

PS: BTW Goa is very much high on my list for leisure travel as I have never been to Goa with my wife, although I travel to Goa for business once in every 2 - 3 months.

Anders

A small front page article in todays Herald about it. Judging from the size it would appear that they don't think it will be much of a problem. As for me, nobody is gonna keep me away from the beach, I have no intention of running home with the tail between my legs. And how do they expect that foreign tourists are going to find out about it, I doubt that any foreign newspaper will publish anything about it.

Brisso

These "agitations" are announced every second day by frustrated wannabe activists or minor political parties or groups - wont' make a shred of difference to tourism in Goa ...

john_almighty

wanna be activists are at it again.... looks like they didn't get their share of moolah

agtoau

This is incorrect information. The main reason for opposition
to SEZs is that they will destroy Goa, its land and its culture.
The whole of China has 7 SEZs, whereas for tiny Goa 18 have
been proposed !! Most of them are land scams, a land grab
by the real estate mafia. Ministers in the ruling party have received
huge commissions to approve these projects.

The projected labour requirements for these 18 SEZs is 9 lakhs.
There are only 90,000 unemployed on the Goa govt register (and
many of these are employed elsewhere - they register with
the unemployment bureau for a govt job). So the additional
workforce will have to come from outside Goa. Assuming every
outsider worker comes in with his wife and kid, we are looking
at 27 lakhs influx into Goa (the current population is 13 lakhs).
Bottomline: Goa won't remain Goa if SEZs are allowed to take root.
This is a fight for our very survival, for the survival of our identity.

agtoau

To the tourists who pooh-pooh the anti-SEZ movement: what's it
to you, after all? You'll come here, lounge on the beach, eat your
fish fry, attend your rave parties, and then go home. We the Goans
will have to live with the SEZ monster and the nightmare of what
Goa will become. You the tourist will no doubt find some other
watering hole elsewhere in the world once Goa is finished.

capt_mahajan

Threatening tourists, either domestic or foreign, is not going to endear the GMAS folks to anybody. Maybe they should threaten the land sharks instead.

Besides, the 27 lakhs influx or whatever figure has nothing whatsoever to do with any tourists of any kind. The wrong tree is being barked at.

Besides, what if a similar group in, say, Maharashtra says.. all Goans out of Maharashtra?

Goa is not an independent country. All Indians have a right to be there. All foreign tourists, likewise- visa's are not a Goan concern, but a Central Govt one.

Though I understand Goan fears of getting swamped, I do not subscribe to this warped way of doing things. Fix the problems with the politicians and the real estate sharks... tourists are just being targeted because they are easier.

shashank.aggarwal

Okay Agtoau, plese confirm are you just sharing a news over here or trying to garner support for GMAS and the movement ?

This and your post count clearly shows that you became member of the board to promote you moment ??

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agtoau

capt_mahajan, you completely miss the GMAS's point.
Tourists are not the "target." The Goa govt is. They know
that the govt will quickly understand the language of
economic disruption. For weeks they have tried petitions,
hunger strikes, yatras, public meetings, to no avail.

Note: Although I am not part of GMAS I completely
empathize with their (which is the same as my) cause.

As for your other points - I shall let them pass.

shashank.aggarwal

Captain, I guess we are taking this entire statement in a negative way. maybe just the difference in interpreting. However when I read it initially this is what I made of it, GMAS guys have warned tourists to get off Goa after 27th. The reason is simple, they do not want them to be harmed in any way as they plan to do things that can turn ugly and they simply do not want any tourist to be harmed. They understand the value of tourism to Goa, that is the reason they are asking to move on or avoid Goa in the time period when they are supposed to carry out their action.

agtoau

shashank.aggarwal, you may divine whatever motives you wish to
for my posting this, but the news I posted has been reported in
almost all the major national newspapers today.

capt_mahajan

Shashank, I can't agree; my opinion remains (as in an earlier post) that these are threats to scare people away, disrupt things, "put pressure on the Goa government" (by threatening innocent people ) and gain political strength... the BJP/Shiv sena are part of this, and the govt. is Congress.. need I say more?

Like you said elsewhere, nobody has heard of GMAS perhaps outside Goa. This is a way of getting political legitimacy.

Muddle up SEZs with the tourists and promote xenophobia... have seen that before, no thanks.

If SEZ's are a problem, and they may well be, protest that. Or are tourists starting SEZ's now?

shahronakm

1] Whole of China has 7 SEZ's & Tiny Goa will have 18. Please note that Tiny Goa will have tiny SEZ's & Big China has bigger SEZ's. According to me whole of China is an SEZ.

2] The main reason for opposition to SEZs is that they will destroy Goa, its land and its culture. Only on paper.

3] Ministers in the ruling party have received huge commissions to approve these projects. It's quite possible as is the case in most of India. But that does not mean SEZ's are bad.

According to me SEZ's should be developed under strict pollution control & they should be adviced to grow trees & greenery in their compound. I would like to give an example here of Syngenta Factory on the road from Old Goa - Ponda. Their surroundings are more like a picnic spot with a large lake. In fact it's a place where large no. of birds frequent. Even Nestle Ltd., at Usgaon has a very big garden like place near their entrance.

If someone wants to take action please take action on people who litter at public places for eg. Calangute beach. Be it Tourists or Locals. Check my pics on another thread how dirty was Calangute beach. http://www.indiamike.com/india/goa-f...-worst-t25884/

This are my views & are not meant to offend someone.

Ronak.

shahronakm

Work at Cipla SEZ was stopped because of agitation.

Why target the tourists ? Taget Government. Tourists have nothing to do with this. Remember Tourism Industry is still a major revenue earner / employer for Goa.

Ronak.

shashank.aggarwal

No Sir, you have said it all. I agree...

Ronak Saab, even though I always counter the point that Goa Depends on tourism, however your point is very valid too. I am sure that even if we agree for once that tourism has small or no financial implication but still this 'fatwa' is unjust..because tourism however big or small, has nothing to do with SEZ.

100% true, every contract that is given by government to any private party always gets blemished by the corruption charges, it happens for contracts for roads, bridges, schools, weapons and even food, however the charges might be true or false, but this doesn't mean that everything is bad..