By Rajan Narayan

AND a few stray thoughts for yet another Saturday. For a Saturday following the week when it is obvious that there were strongly different opinions between Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and Environmental Minister Aleixo Sequeira on the time limit for the amplified electronic dance music festival for Sunburn. For a Saturday following the week which brought four major accidents and one murder on New Year’s Day. For a Saturday following the week when there was large-scale theft of mobile phones stolen at the Sunburn event at Vagator beach. For a Saturday following the week when the beaches of Goa were littered with broken bottles, discarded foods, plastics and waves of litter due to the year-end celebrations of 2023.
AND a few stray thoughts when it became obvious that there were strong differences of opinion between Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and Environment Minister Aleixo Sequeira on the time limit permissible for amplified sound at Sunburn. Aleixo Sequeira permitted Sunburn to play amplified sound till midnight. While CM Pramod Sawant announced the limit for playing the amplified sounds would be till 10 pm. This contradicted Aleixo Sequeira.
However, the CM stuck his guns and said that Alexio had spoken in his capacity as an environmental minister. As chief minister he can always overrule the decisions of his cabinet colleagues. The CM was adamant that Sunburn should not play amplified music beyond 10 pm. Finally, the CM got his way and Sunburn stopped playing what is being called amplified sound at 10pm or so we hear.
On the first day, there were lot of reports about how a proactive north Goa SP Nidhin Valsan cracked down on Sunburn. There were reports in all sections of media that the police silenced the sound on one of the stages of Sunburn playing music beyond permissible volume limit. The remaining two days there was a news blackout on reporting Sunburn. Strangely, there was no report of police action against the organizers on second and third days. A message must have gone out from the very top of Goa administration to leave Sunburn alone and not interfere with it.
Shailendra Singh who is the principal organizer of Sunburn has very important connections both at the state and central level. It may be recalled that he played an important role during the International Film Festival of India held in Panaji in November last year. He it is who got Hollywood actor Michael Douglas as chief guest for the closing ceremony of IFFI. Michael Douglas is the famous son of a famous father, actor Kirk Douglas. In an interaction with Michael Douglas, Shailendra Singh embarrassed the director by asking him a whole lot of personal questions and the audience present and media, also IFFI organizers, were distinctly unhappy with Shailendra Singh’s silly cross examining or inquisition of Michael Douglas. It was in bad taste, it was reported. Be that as it may be Sunburn reports became more and more absurd during the three days of the festival.
The Sunburn festival enjoyed the patronage of not only of Environment Minister Aleixo Sequiera but also local Siolim MLA Delilah Lobo and husband Calangute MLA Michael Lobo. Indeed, we hear Delilah and Michael were clicked dancing at the Sunburn festival. It is obvious that Shailendra Singh influenced both Aleixo Sequeira and the Lobos.
In any case Sunburn was beyond the reach of most Goan youth. Tickets were priced from Rs3,000 upwards to Rs8,000 and few Goan youth could afford to go to Sunburn. The VIP tickets were over Rs25,000 we hear. Local MLAs had dished out free tickets to their constituency residents. Sunburn primarily attracts high-end domestic tourists from out of state and abroad, those who follow such EDM trance music concerts with their band of musicians.
GOA is the only state to have an electronic music festival. The festival is not acceptable for other neighboring states like Maharashtra and Karnataka. The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy in fact announced Sunburn as a drugs festival. He banned sale of tickets in Andhra Pradesh. Similarly, Telangana’s Chief Minister Revanth Reddy also condemned the evils of Sunburn.
However, Sunburn has the patronage of very influential and well-connected people wealthy people. Trance music is catching the imagination of wealthy children in the country. Even during normal times the night clubs in Anjuna play this debilitating drilling trance music. However, Sunburn is meeting with a steady stiff opposition from local villagers. This year there were strong protests at the police stations against the noise pollution created by the famous and infamous so called music concert.
Local Vishwa Hindu Parishad and RSS and mahila groups also took umbrage and objected to the use of Lord Shiva’s images displayed as décor for the stages and in visuals at the Sunburn festival. They said the organizer for defaming Hindu gods and goddesses. It is unlikely that next year Sunburn will come to Goa. The Goa Bench of the Bombay High Court ruled that the permission given last year was illegal. Even this year the High Court directed strict supervision by the collector of North Goa of the festival which has probably seen its last innings in Goa.

NEW YEAR ACCIDENTS
AND a few stray thoughts on four major accidents and one murder on New Year’s day. Four people were killed in accidents one was murder. Many blame the condition of the roads in Goa as well as poor night patrolling by traffic police for the rising incidence of road accidents. Four cases were New Year revelry-related cases. The 21-year-old son of former long-time councillor of the Corporation of City of Panaji, Rupesh Halarnkar, of Ribandar, died in an accident that occurred around 3.45 am near People’s High School at Mala. Ayush Halarnkar’s two-wheeler fell into pit dug at Rua de Ourem by workers of the Smart City Works going on here. He was on his way to meet his friends for New Year partying.
Ayush is believed to have crashed onto a concrete mixer and into a ditch and he succumbed to his injuries. The site was badly lit and in a haphazard state. Many Ponjekars are blaming the shoddy and badly-lit Smart City works going on, leading to frequent incidents. An allegation being refuted by the contractor.
Upset citizens allege Halankar’s death to negligence in putting up precautionary measures at the site. This is the second such death occurring in recent times due to Smart City works going on up and down the capital city. Both contractor and local MLA and Mayor of Panaji are responsible along with with CCP laziness on taking an interest. Sometime back a labourer died while digging a trench at Ribandar.
In another incident a 24-year-old youth from Jharkhand, Jivyanus Lakra, died in an accident in Taleigao around 6.30 am when his two-wheeler collided with another two-wheeler. Lakra was employed at a Taleigao store.
The third accident saw a youth Pritam Bora, celebrating his 30th birthday, from Muslimwada in Bhoma, in an accident in which he died when his scooter rammed into an electricity pole at around 11 pm. Pritam Bora had thrown a birthday party for his friend near his residence, on Sunday, December 31, 2023. At around 11 pm when he realised that his stock of drinks was exhausted, he left on his scooter to replenish it. As he reached a sharp turn on the downhill road just a kilometre away from his residence, he lost control of his scooter and rammed into an electricity pole. He died on the spot. He was not wearing a helmet, he got serious injuries to his head, was declared dead by doctors on arrival in hospital.
In the fourth accident police constable Ulhas Gaonkar, 32, died after a car rammed into his two-wheeler while he was negotiating a sharp turn at Velus in Valpoi at 7.45 am on Monday, January 1. The driver of the car Gajanan Naik from Thane-Sattari was proceeding towards Thane, while Ulhas was heading towards Valpoi. Goankar sustained grievous facial injuries along with a fractured leg. He was shifted to the GMC where he was declared dead.
In a similar accident, a scooter driverst from Cuncolim died after his two-wheeler was dashed by a car on Sunday December 31 evening at Panzarconi. The accident occurred near Panzarconi when he was on his way from Margao. The deceased identified as Yash Ghodekar succumbed to accident injuries on the way to the hospital. Police said that the car driven by the one Girish Komarpant from Canacona was proceeding towards Margao and one reaching an ice factory at Panzorconi it dashed against the scooter ridden by Yash who was proceeding from Margao to Cuncolim. The rider sustained grievous injuries and succumbed to it on the way to hospital. An occupant of car Kalpana Komarpant also sustained injuries and is undergoing treatment at the South Goa District hospital.
The last incident on New Year’s eve celebrations between groups of friends from Assam ended in a killing, after heated arguments over alcohol binging at Corlim. Joydahan Bharali (27) has been arrested for murder. The two workers from Assam working in Corlim entered into a heated argument over some issue, following which one of them stabbed the other to death. Both had been drinking at their quarters in Corlim. The deceased has been identified as Tapan Tiwari (23), both employed at a tyre shop in Corlim.
It seems the verbal fight broke out between the two over some comments. Soon it took an ugly turn with Bharali allegedly stabbing Tiwari with a sharp weapon. Subsequently, the accused informed his employer Manohar M staying in the same building. The accused confessed to his crime.

SUNBURN AGAIN!
AND a few stray thoughts on the Sunburn festival again. The organizers despite their crowds in Delhi and Goa did not expect such stiff competition to Sunburn. Sunburn is not sound of music but what is worrying is the trance drill of the music which is low, monotonous and hypnotic. This is what Sunburn basically is, an EDM trance music festival. The music is such that only those on drugs can listen to it for any length of time or so we understand. The music and drugs go together, even if it is rest and recreation drug ganja or marijuana or charas. However, far stronger and deadly drugs make their way at such darkened concerts and they are expensive and available very surreptitiously only to the known addicts.
For some reason the Narcotics Bureau at the Centre did not think of coming down from Delhi to check out the festival to see what kind of drugs were being sold. Allegedly the more dangerous drugs were sold down Vagator beach in front of the venue.

MOBILE PHONE THEFT!
AND some more stray thoughts, this time on the large-scale theft of high-end mobile phones at the Sunburn event. There was also a large theft of iPhones with over 144 mobile phones stolen from the ravers at the venue. So it is a case of trance music and thieves taking advantage of the event to steal the show this year.
As per information our information 80 mobile phones were stolen on the final day. Last year around 500 mobile phones were stolen during the event. Anjuna police were flooded with the music lovers attending the EDM Sunburn with complaints of their missing mobile phones
Anjuna police suspect an interstate gang of thieves operating within the Sunburn 2023 event premises. The operators target such festivals because it is easy to lift phones while their owners are indulging in the festival’s many offerings of addictive pleasure. In fact several reports of mobile thefts at the festival have emerged, leading to the deployment of undercover teams from Anjuna police to curb such incidents at the festival.
Some police on duty successfully apprehended and dismantled the gang from Maharashtra and arrested seven persons identified namely as Ubedullah Khan, Owaiz Padaya, Sohail Memon, Abdul Rehman Khan, Saddam Ali Sayyed, Mohammad Zeeshan Khan and Sohail Shaikh. They have been booked under sections 379 r/w 34 IPC for their involvement in stealing at the event. Amongst the seized items are 29 high-end mobile phones of various brands, valued at approximately Rs 25,00,000.
The operation was executed under the supervision of SDPO Mapusa Jivba Dalvi, led by Anjuna PI Prashal Dessai, with a team of officers and constables from the Anjuna Police Station. It’s an on-going investigation in which Nidhin Valsan, IPS, SP (North), Porvorim, is also keenly taking an interest.
Forget Sunburn. For obvious reasons low budget tourists flocked to the beaches of Goa to usher in 2024. Beaches receive maximum interest from revellers from the landlocked states. Goa beaches are also an economic option to celebrate the New Year week on the beach, with many sleeping over on the beaches. On the beach one may shout, scream, sing, drink, eat and get high without worrying about disturbing any locals. It is not surprizing that the Candolim, Calangute beaches and even Panjim’s riverine beach at Miramar was chok-a-bloc with new year revellers from out of Goa. In all this the theft of mobiles is a very profitable business with the iphones costing between Rs1,50,000 to Rs2 lakh. The thieves can make big profit margin on selling the stolen iphones. Many iphones were stolen by tourists from one another. It is difficult to track down such thieves for the iPhone owners are addressed out of Goa.
There has been a huge increase in the theft of iPhones all the year around. The high-end iPhones are greatly in much demand and may sell as seconds at discounted prices of Rs80,000 to a lakh.

LITTERED BEACHES
AND a few stray thoughts on the littered beaches of Goa post mega events. All the broken bottles, excess foods, plastics of all manner and especially booze and water bottles…media photographers visited the beaches at dawn on January 1, 2024 to take photographs of the empty beaches piled high with litter and garbage everywhere. The “TOI” carried a picture of Miramar beach strewn with unsightly litter, truly a nauseating scene. Domestic tourists who make up the bulk of the new year revellers are totally unmindful of the littering wherever they go to party. Cleaning up operations entail a great deal of effort from the cleaning organisations. Littering Goa is as bad as drunken driving come the new year celebrations.
There are also the cases of drowning for tourists will insist in venturing into the sea even if they do not know swimming. We remember one of our security guards at one time was at a beach for a New Year celebration with his entire family and they spent the night on the beach. Beaches have a fatal attraction for domestic tourists and they have to be kept an eye on.