Who is sheltering the "Chandni Bar Mafia" of Calangute, Goa?
The number of "Black Sheep Goans" are slowly overpowering the "Good Goans", the people of this beautiful land!
On any night, if you are passing through Baga-Calangute road or Calangute-Candolim road or even from Arpora towards Baga or Calangute, on two-wheeler; you shall hear a voice calling for you to draw your attention, "DISCO!". This is the voice of the touts employed by numerous "Disco / Dance Bars". There are also ample sign-boards, direction-sign available, touting mainly, DISCO!.
Now, who would not like to go to a “Disco” on their night out in Goa, specially if you are single?
The real Discos do not allow “Stags” and even if those who do allow, have an exorbitant entry-fees and a strict code of dress, as well as conduct. The entry is deliberately kept high to dissuade hooligans.
If you stop at the call, then come the full details in order to lure you in, because for the fact that, you stopped.
The rate card also comes in, along with nationality of the women available at what rate. You would be further tempted by being the offer of additional services, which are the party drugs, to make you soar high; and truly feel the quintessential Goan night. After all, what’s the point of being in the company of an unknown woman in Goa, and not sufficiently high?
So, you can drink, have drugs and when you get high, you can easily avail the company of women. Your Goan vacation dream can come true, as per the tout!
Well, all kind of tourists come to Goa, and these "Dance/Disco Bars" have found a niche.
Single men or group of men who come to Goa, to drink and make merry and spend time in company of women, which they cannot do in their own city or town. While here, you are unknown and free to indulge, you can buy almost everything, including women. The anthem of these young men are nothing but "Let's make a night to remember..."
What are these "Disco / Dance Bars" of Calangute actually?
Well similar like most of them in Bombay, where you can get close to a woman, may be shake a leg, and then you can ask them to come out with you, ie if they are not soliciting openly. For lack of a better name, they are also termed "Dance Bars" or "Disco" to garb them under a legitimate name, while doing everything illegitimate.
All these "Dance Bars" are run by outsiders (not Goans), but the land/property is rented by local Goans only. What is also rented is protection to run this illegitimate business.
Everyone knows to whom the premises belong to, after all Panchayat has all the details. It is impossible to contemplate that neighbours of the property, where such "Dance Bars" are run, have no idea, that such illegal activities are run there?
The fact of matter is due to the inherent rot of greed prevailing, to earn more and more money; the number of “Goan Black Sheeps” have outnumbered the "Good Goans".
The things have come to such pass, that local MLA Michael Lobo had to take a delegation, in order to urge local Police to stop these illegal activities.
Can you imagine, that local MLA, pleading to Police to take action? Who is more powerful?
All these "Dance Bars" owners of Calangute Panchayat have now become so much more powerful, that even the local Panchayat is toothless in front of them.
Is it that Goa Police or Crime Branch or CID have no clue about who are the members of "Calangute Chandni Bar Mafia" and why in spite of being outsiders, they have become so powerful.
IF you are doing something illegal, anywhere in the world, under public eye, unless you are splitting the gains of the game, with LEA (Law Enforcement Authorities), it is not possible to do so.And it's no wonder, this is also the same case with Calangute Dance Bars.
The most important pertinent question is who are these locals (government/non-government) who are hand-in-gloves with Dance Bar owners? Surely, very powerful people.
Operating a "Dance Bar" is a very expensive proposition anywhere (going by the Bombay example), more so in a pace like Calangute, Goa. The rents are too high. Operating costs would include high salary not for the women and touts, but living and day-to-day expense of theirs. Over and above you need decent enough profits(which undoubtedly the "Chandni Bar" mafia of Calangute is earning), so that it could be distributed among all the stake-holders, who are allowing them to continue operations, in spite of severe resistance of local citizens.
Thus it can be easily inferred that this is an "Syndicate style organised crime"!
Goa Police on the other hand, is patting it's back incessantly on catching mobile phone thieves, turning a complete blind eye, to the disgusting cancerous rot, right under their nose. If you ask, why such thieves/thugs/criminal come to Goa; because they can easily make merry on their loot, here only.
Calangute, which was once known to be the queen of all the beaches, is now reduced to no other than a very shady place, where you can get anything, as long as you have money. Nothing short of a burgeoning "Red Light Area".
It's now up to the residents, administrative officials, law enforcement agencies and elected people representatives to come together and remove the stigma of Calangute as the Red Light District of Goa; and restore it's prestige and their own, as the proud residents of Calangute.