The moment one issue gets dissolved another starts raising its head in the politics. It is very simple, politics is a full-time job just like any other job in the town. Every day we need to finish one task and begin with another, similarly, politicians search for the new issues on a regular basis and at the moment the issue of Mhadei is in the limelight.
With back to back protests against the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act and Mhadei issue hoteliers fear of losing the foreign tourists coming down to the state. The political instability is the last thing any tourist wants when they make the plan of the trip any unknown region, and the situation in Goa is only going from bad to worst.
According to a report published in the Hindustan Times, Goa’s tourism body has expressed fears that political protests over water dispute with Karnataka could further hurt state’s tourism, which is already in decline, and said that two wrongs cannot make a right.
The job of the opposition is to oppose every move made by the ruling government regardless of the fact if it is right or wrong, for example, the people who were in opposition earlier had opposed the Casinos but the moment they entered into the ruling Government the opposition turned into collaboration.
At the moment Goa’s all the opposition have come on the single platform to stage the protest against Mhadei issue. The TTAG (Travel and Tourism Association of Goa) feels that the issue of Mhadei if not tackled properly it will only lead to worsening the tourism business in Goa.
“We do understand that the Mhadei issue is a serious issue which needs to be settled expeditiously and we are equally concerned about it. But it should not be at the cost of destroying tourism in our state of Goa,” TTAG president Savio Messias said in a statement.
Stakeholders say foreign tourist arrivals are down by 30% and the domestic tourism isn’t growing. “Foreign traffic is down by as much as 30%. Domestic traffic is down as well. Christmas has not looked good but the New Year is looking better,” said Jack Sukhija, an official of the state’s tourism body.
Goa has seen two protests against the recent Citizenship Amendment Act and ongoing rallies by the Congress party on the Mhadei issue. Hoteliers fear the atmosphere of protests will dissuade the foreign tourists.
“Tourism is declining in Goa and in the garb of solving the Mhadei issue, we should not be seen as responsible for the destruction of tourism in Goa,” Messias said and added, “In correcting or objecting to one wrong, we cannot do another wrong.”
The Congress has, however, taken a dim view of the TTAG opinion. “This is a fight for the survival of Goa, if we do not win this, there will be no Goa left, much less any tourism to live on,” said Digambar Kamat, the leader of opposition in Goa Assembly.
Source: HT
