Goa is one of the most popular destinations for Britons, and every year along with lyrical travel pieces in the British news media, quite a few people from the UK go down to enjoy the beauty of this former Portugese colony. It is almost as popular as the golden triangle, which includes Rajasthan, and most travellers from the UK believe, visiting India is not complete without seeing Goa.
Last week's murder of Irish girl Danielle McLaughlin has brought the popular tourist spot to limelight again, and this time for less than emotional reasons. In February 2008 Scarlett Keeling, another Britisgh teenager was murdered in Goa. Her mother Fiona MacKeown launched a fund raising campaign to raise £20,000 to offer as a reward for information or evidence that will lead to her daughter's killer's conviction.
A campaign to bring Danielle's body to Ireland has also reached £35,000, as we went to press. She was found dead last Tuesday near the Palolem beach. Her body is expected to reach Ireland this week. From County Donegal in Ireland, Danielle was a student in Liverpool. The Irish Embassy and the British High Commission are working together in dealing with issues related to the murder.
The Goa police have arrested a suspect, a man named Vikas Bhagat, and it is alleged that Danielle was perhaps gangraped. Danielle was last seen at a party to celebrate India’s Holi festival at the Green Park resort in Palolem Beach on that night of March 13. The next day, her body was found stripped and battered by a farmer four miles away near Deobag Beach. Cops revealed Danielle was strangled and slashed to death after she was raped.
While several reports in the UK discuss about the rising number of deaths in the area over last decade, many have also questioned whether the killer or killers will be ever brought to justice, given the fate of the Keeling case, in which two accused were acquitted in 2016. Many people who have lost family members in Goa have alleged that the police haven't followed on clues correctly and declared those deaths caused by natural causes- which they believe are not true.
What visitors and community have to say
Goa is one of the most popular destinations of British tourists; most visits are incident-free. Sofia, an avid traveller who has visited India many times told the Asian Voice, “I have been to Goa alone. I have never felt threatened for my life or safety, but of course I am aware of the rave parties and some beaches to avoid. It is wise to follow the rules that Foreign ofiice suggests.”
John, an accountant who travelled to Goa with his girlfriend, said, “Goa is a very hippie place, very similar to Unawatuna in Sri Lanka. My girlfriend hired a scooty and she went around to different places sight-seeing, and I have not heard her complaining even once. We found the locals liberal, friendly and non interfering. If you want to have drugs, you can run into trouble anywhewre. But I have had many friends visiting Goa annually, none of us ever felt threatened for our lives.”
Mc Laughlin's murder is also a subject of discussion among British Goans. Many expressed despair on social media exclaiming that murder incidents gave the state a bad name. Antonio Fernandez, a teacher of Goan origin in the UK, told Asian Voice, “Goa and people of India have been put in bad light after this murder. Sadly such things happen everywhere. Whether it is drugs, or rape cases, it is not confined to India alone.”
Aleya, an Indian origin student in the UK who visits Goa once every year said, “I have been to Goa alone, with friends and with family on sveral occassions. When you are travelling anywhere alone, as a young attractive girl, you may draw attention, and it is important you are careful. It is sadly the truth of the universe. Being carefree is also a responsibility.
“This incident is a test for India, if a perpetrator is punished, people will again have faith in the justice system. With Brexit, India is going to play an important role in Britain's economy, and if we burn bridges like this, no one will want to have any kind of relationship with India again.
“It so shameful when my British friends in the University ask me if it is safe to travel in India at all. I am from India, I grew up there and we have different sensibilities when it comes to our own safety. But lone incidents like this tarnish the name of the whole community and the country.”
London based Jamie Barreto of Goa told Hindustan Times, “It is so sad. You can’t trust the police and politicians in Goa. It is not only the British who are questioning police’s role; even we Goans don’t have much trust in them. Every Goan family here I know is talking about it.”
Advisory on Goa
While no one's freedom should cost them their life, it is advisory for people to note that safety in India is not the same as on the Brighton beach. Foreign Office has a separate section on its India travel advice on Goa, where many Britons have died of alcohol and drug abuse, or drowned due to strong currents in the sea.
The advisory on Goa by Foreign Office says: “If you’re staying in a hotel on the smaller roads in the Candolim-Calangute belt, take particular care when walking to or from the main road. There have been reports of bag-snatchings on these roads. The thieves are usually on motorbikes, with headlights on full-beam to blind their victims.
“There have been reports of drinks being spiked and travellers, including British nationals, subsequently being robbed, sexually assaulted or killed. There have also been reports of locals posing as police officers or government officials in order to extort money, so be alert if approached. Avoid beaches after dark. Travellers should observe and respect local dress and customs.
“You should follow warnings posted at beaches and instructions issued by lifeguards. Every year several people drown due to the strong currents in the sea. Emergency service standards may differ from those in the UK.
“Road traffic accidents are common and many fatal accidents occur each year. Wear a good quality helmet if renting a motorcycle or scooter.
“The possession or consumption of drugs is illegal and conviction for either offence may lead to a very long prison sentence. A number of British nationals in Goa die each year due to drug or alcohol abuse.”
