“All the robbers worked in hotels”: in Goa they heard the Russians, announcing a special operation

In the wake of many publications about attacks on Russian tourists in Goa by hotel staff, the authorities of the Indian state for the first time acknowledged the fact that this happens regularly in the post-pandemic resort. And as a reaction, they announced the start of a special operation by Atiti Devo Bhava, which means “Guest is equal to God.” The action provides for special measures “to enhance hospitality.” We learned which ones, and what those who know well what Goa is think about them.

Over the past month, a number of robbery attacks on tourists have taken place on the resort coast of Goa, and in all cases disclosed to date, employees of their own hotels turned out to be criminals – this was openly stated by the Goan Prime Minister, Mr. Savant. Addressing his government, he recalled that the state’s debt is 24,175.93 crores of rupees – ed.). And since mining in Goa has not been resumed after the pandemic, the debt can only be repaid from the income of the tourism industry. But they will not be seen if the hotel staff instead of the service begins to attack and rob their own guests. To which it was unanimously decided to “strengthen Goan hospitality with the help of special events.”

“Separately, the minister mentioned two Russian tourists who were attacked by workers in the tourism sector,” says a hotelier from Mandrem, who was present at the meeting. – Both cases took place in places especially popular among Russians – in Morjim and on the Pernem road (between the coastal Arambol and the town of Pern in the interior of the state – ed.). In one case, a local bartender attacked, in another, a waiter and an electrician. Now the minister ordered all owners of gethouses to create special “Goan labor cards” and, when hiring, first find out the dossier of each applicant and enter it into this card. But how to do that?!

It seems to be a standard requirement for the tranquility of the institution itself and its guests, causing panic among Goan hoteliers. Indeed, in the high season, people from all over vast India travel to Goa to earn money, where completely illiterate “oases” are still preserved, where people lead an almost primitive communal lifestyle.

– Your tourist in Morjim was attacked by a waiter from Assam and an electrician from Jharkhand (the most remote eastern states of India – author) and not from cities, of course, but from remote villages where no computers were even seen, – says a Russian-speaking guide from Arambol . – Not everyone has a passport. Therefore, hoteliers do not yet understand how to collect a dossier on each employee. The police are unlikely to help, she was also puzzled, and it takes a long time.

The Indian bureaucracy, with its paperwork, annoys even the Indians themselves, who never rush anywhere (Hindu gods believe that only people with a bad conscience fuss, so any haste spoils karma).

– The police are taking action, and the hotel owners are obliged to take their measures – they disown other people’s tasks in the Goan neighborhood. – In the last month alone, we have had five robbery attacks. And at the same time, we are also criticized (at a recent meeting, the Minister of Revenue of Goa, Mr. Monserrate, said that he “sees the police only fining tourists, they don’t do anything else”).

Despite the fact that only in the last week, as many as three intruders were exposed – the already mentioned waiter with an electrician, as well as a bartender. Last Thursday, at the request of a foreign tourist (details not yet disclosed), a 27-year-old native of Uttarakhand, also on the other side of the country, who worked in a restaurant in the Arambol region, was detained. The statement of the victim said that on Wednesday evening, this service worker entered the room she rented, after which she raised the alarm. A local resident came to her aid and the attacker fled. But, as it turned out, not forever.

“Soon, the accused returned with a knife and attacked both the tourist and the one who tried to protect her,” says North Goa police superintendent Mr. Valsan. “And in early March, a local gang attacked their own Indian tourists who arrived from Delhi. And before that, right on the beach, the Japanese were robbed by locals dressed as policemen.

The policemen complain that in such a criminogenic situation they are not allowed to check all suspicious people, as tourists complain about them on social networks, for the sake of whose safety they are trying. And social networks in the light of “hospitality special measures” are now monitored by special people and forward complaints to the top.

– And what did they do there?

– All vehicles used by tourists will have stickers so that we do not stop them.

For compatriots wintering in Goa for more than a season, local “special measures” cause only laughter:

– Now from the illiterate residents of remote villages, hired in hotels, tourists will be able to fight back with Goan labor cards. And stickers on vehicles for all guests of the state were promised to be molded when crossing the border. So they will stick it on a tramp who is going to work in Goa from his Tmutarakan state on a personal bike. Where are we to sculpt them, on a plane?

– On rented bikes!

– Most of the locals rent bikes outside the rules, while ours are rented somewhere cheaper. Many people use local numbers specifically to avoid extortion, and they don’t need a sticker that they are tourists with cash in their pocket. In social networks, they complain about this: the local road policy, as it sees a foreigner, immediately slows it down. And he will definitely find something for which to tear off a fine with a cache – the rights are not in English, the helmet is not like that, etc. Previously, Russians took it more calmly, as an offering to local idols from guests for good luck. But now, when the cards do not work for us, and the cache is limited, we do not care that they went bankrupt for a pandemic!