The Other Side of "Go Goa"!!!

It’s been a long time since I have written a blog of my experience’s in my surroundings. Today I am going to write about the apathy and in-equality that Indian’s themselves are facing in one the India’s best tourist place, known as Go Goa. I have heard about this situation so many times earlier through word of mouth and through print and electronic media. So earlier this year when i visited Goa, i wanted to observe this myself but i thought this issue may be seen at certain selected places. But starting on a good note, Goa is really a great place with clean roads, good beaches and beautiful landscape. I went with my friends and family members and stayed in "Panaji". We took two wheelers on rent to roam around in Goa. We covered maximum beaches and really had a great time enjoying the vacation time and beauty of Goa. But being a close observer I felt that there was some preferential treatment given to foreigners as compared to Indians. May be they shell out good amount of dollars and they promote a sound Tip culture. But this difference is not felt until you observe this carefully and attentively.

But one clear incident of discrimination left us feel awkward and pity. We were at "Baga" beach at a shack and were enjoying our sun bath. We were feeling high and the reason was good food and the spirits. We were chatting with one another and suddenly a sound of child’s cry fell into our ears. When we tried to find out what happened we found out that a foreigner white child was pushing a dog towards an (Indian) child beggar and the dog was directed with a ball to run behind the child (beggar) and so he was crying. He was away from the shack but this foreigner child was sending his dog towards the child beggar continuously and his (foreigner) parents were enjoying this scene and were laughing at it. We felt really bad for the child (beggar) and tried to intervene into the situation but the foreigner white child didn't stopped and his parents were also supporting him. Seeing this we became angry and shouted on the foreigner parents as well as their child. Seeing this the owner of the shack came to us and started arguing with us that you can’t shout at their customers, we told them that we are also your customers and advising the other customer to behave well but as they were foreigners, the owner didn't wanted to lose her dollars and her courtesy towards them. We told her that being an Indian by supporting these foreigners you are making fun of our own country. The only thing we wanted is to stop making fun of the child beggar. But she was adamant and said you can’t shout on us and remember you are in our place - Goa and you are outsider. This statement really jolted us as this made us think that foreigners are much important to these shack owners as compared to Indian’s. But we also kept on fighting and seeing the situation getting worsened; few Indian tourists intervened and stopped the altercation.

But this really made a bad impression of a tourist destination on us in our own country that echoes the reality that Dollar is much bigger than our rupee and It’s value matters the most. But that's the sad part of a reality!!!