With the 15 day deadline given to the Goa government ending on 22nd July, the agitated residents of Ribandar will on July 20th meet to decide the future course of action to press their demand for the removal of Casino Deltin Caravela currently anchored in the River Mandovi opposite Ribandar.
A plan of action will be chalked out to ensure removal of the Casino which is posing an environmental hazard and is very prejudicial to the local fishing community. The government would be solely responsible for the consequences of the agitation that would be launched on account of the failure of the government to respect the demand and sentiments of the residents of Ribandar and the neighbouring villages. The agitation against Casinos that would be launched at Ribandar would spread into a state wide one to ensure that the Casinos illegally parked in the River Mandovi are driven into the sea to be offshore as required by law.
We should commend the local BJP Corporator Rupesh Halankar for standing alongside with the people, however the stoic silence of our MLA Sidharth Kuncolienkar on the issue is very suspicious and deafening.
While as the Leader of the Opposition Manohar Parrikar had vociferously branded Casinos as a “social evil” and had called them “dens of vice”. While leading the agitation against Casinos, Manohar Parrikar had also vowed to make sure that all Casinos were thrown out of Goa if the BJP came to power.
But in a dramatic U turn after coming to power in March 2012, the BJP has gone all out to promote, shield and further increase the number of Casinos under the guise of promoting Tourism.
The RSS which sets and gears the agenda for the BJP is known to be against gambling, but it’s now opportune silence on Casinos is questionable while the BJP has fallen in passionate love with the Casino brigade who are now getting the government’s abundant patronage and overwhelming support.
Earlier it was the Congress and now the BJP is feasting and making merry with the abundant kickbacks flowing from the Casinos while Goa has sadly now become the country’s gambling hub with the allied vices of Prostitution and the Narcotics trade also flourishing by the day while the Crime rate was also on a steep rise.
