Foreigners party hard in Arambol’s forest as State undergoes lockdown By Special Investigation Team

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Arambol: While Goa along with the nation observed lockdown to fight back COVID-19, the parts of Arambol still continued to be a party place for the foreigners, completely exposing the failure of State machinery.

Travelling to this area to know the impact of lockdown, our reporters came across stunning incidents of foreign nationals having blast while locals remained indoors.

The less populated forested areas, which are known for their rave parties, came to life against during the lockdown time.

The parties never stopped even as police were busy manning the highways and internal roads stopping the lockdown violators.

A banyan tree at Arambol which has been known for spotting foreigners have become a permanent home for 30 of them, who have been partying hard here.

We came across the foreigners who were travelling freely on their two-wheelers disrespecting the lockdown rules.

The question remains as to who supplies them the booze and other necessities required to party during the lockdown.

Does this smack of a nexus between some elements whose business has come to a standstill during lockdown and the foreigners.

This also raises questionmark on the administration led by chief minister Dr Pramod Sawant who has made claims that the state has been under control.

Few parts of the state including Arambol and Morjim has already remained out of bound for the state police, for the reasons best known for them.

Chief minister during his press conferences has conceded that there are few foreigners who continue to remain in Goa.

When these foreigners are on tourist visas and there is no tourism happening, what are these foreigners doing here.

As per state government data, 5933 foreigners have left the state during lockdown time in 30 special flights. So, what are these remaining doing in Goa.

While possibilities of cleansing the tourism sector post-lockdown has been one of the possibility but considering the situation, it looks like the state will head for the situation similar to that in the past even in the future.

10 COMMENTS

  1. If your surprised at foreigners defying the lockdown, you should see my nephew’s friends. They travel daily from parra to Grande carona near Aldona to visit him and party at his place daily. My mother who is his grandmother warns them politely not to disobey the lockdown rules, but they don’t care. Forget that, my mother used to go to the market once a week on Fridays, now she literally has to go out daily. Even after I repeatedly tell her to stay home, she is out daily searching for cigarettes and alcohol for my nephew and my younger brother.

  2. And children everywhere also play cricket. What a mess
    और हर जगह बच्चे भी क्रिकेट खेलते हैं। क्या गड़बड़ है

  3. That’s because they are white skin foreigners and they are allowed to do anything, they have money and are welcome everywhere in Goa. In fact Goa is for these kind of tourists only.

  4. While the disrespect shown by SOME foreigners stranded here in India is unfortunate, most who have been stuck here have followed the lockdown rules as well as anyone else. In fact, foreigners may be following the rules better than the locals in many places, because the foreigners visibility makes them a target of anger like that of this author.

    The author needs to do some research before posting an article, and this publication should be ashamed of publishing something so uninformed. The reality is that a great many foreigners are stranded in Goa and throughout India, just as many Indians are stranded in other parts of the world.

    The author cites information that some special flights have evacuated foreigners. What the author apparently doesn’t know or doesn’t care to know is that these flights have only been made available to a small fraction of the stranded tourists. The lockdown and suspension of flights happened quickly, and many have been unwillingly stuck ever since.

    I am not defending those gathering or partying in violation of curfew rules. People gathering at this time are endangering everyone. Both foreigners and Indians have broken these rules, it is not a problem limited to any one group.

    But to try to direct anger and frustration on all foreigners who are here, MANY of whom are trapped with no way to go elsewhere — while also neglecting to research the topic before publishing — is not only irresponsible journalism; it is also ugly chauvinism, and is amoral. The author and the outlet should be ashamed.

  5. Namaste. I am a foreigner in Goa right now and I feel sad that some foreigners cannot behave according to the rules laid out by the government and this matter should be treated according to legislation.
    This said, the article does not specify what partying hard means and not everyone are the same.
    On the question in the article on what some of us are doing here. Some have lost jobs in their homelands and repatriation flights easily cost more than 1 lakh. Money that can be spent buying food and renting houses in goa, contributing positively to the economy until commercial flights re-open.
    Personally my house is in Italy at the epicenter of the European outbreak and it is rented out to a young man. And honestly I prefer to stay here as it is safer for the moment. Some people are living in the forests or beaches because they do not have any money for the hotels or guesthouses. These people could be offered a work exchange program food and lodging for community work.
    Foreigners or not we all need to help out to make this particular historical moment an opportunity to stand together as one humanity and help eachother. There are so many ways to do this. Pls take care out there.

  6. These are questions the tourism Minister needs to answer as well as the CM as areas likecthese have their own armed thugs who the police are afraid to tackle for years and mostly sponsored and protected by some law maker and posdibly the tourism Minister,, if MR Szgaonkar is questioned now his answer would probably be,,,, we dont know how they stayed back and whst is their source of supply,,,, believe me,, he knows it all

  7. This isn’t true. I was in Arambol and everyone was pretty much in lockdown. If a few people broke it and partied, it’s not right to question what foreigners who are stranded are doing here. It’s irresponsible journalism. Are you reporting or writing an editorial?

  8. In the wake of all what is happening in and around the state, we have noticed some illegal activities of the foreigners partying. Why is the state government going light on these people..just because they are tourists? We do not require such tourist who does pay heed to our self esteem (which unfortunately our minister’s does not have)
    We would urge the concerned dept to take strict action against these tourist,who are a nuisance to our society…And to further blacklist them from entering our country.

  9. What a terrible article!
    I’m one of the foreigner who is in Goa now! I haven’t live the house for a month almost…accept groceries!
    And there are many like me…who respect the rule and the law!
    What are we doing here?! We are stacked in here! I’ve been in India the last 5 month! It’s much more dangerous for me to go somewhere than to stay! And where to go? I’m russian…who lives in Europe!
    Yes we can’t move and travel…but we still pay to per landlord…who would have no income at all!!! We pay to put bikes lords…we are getting the groceries from the store…and by that we are helping the economy of India and Goa!
    The pictures which comes together with the article doesn’t prove anything and what a bad language of writing!!!

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