Three-day music festival in Goa under police scanner

PANAJI - With trance music festivals in Goa becoming notorious for sale of drugs during events, the three-day non-stop music festival beginning Feb 5 in a forest area near Agonda beach has come under the police radar.

Speaking to reporters Wednesday, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police Ravindra Singh Yadav said that the police will keep a close eye on the ‘Chakra view festival’, which begins at 6 a.m. Friday (Feb 5) and winds up at 12 a.m. Sunday (Feb 7) near the secluded butterfly beach at Agonda, 80 km south of Panaji.

“I have asked them (subordinates) to check whether there are any illegalities. If we find any illegality, we will stop the party,” Yadav told reporters at the police head quarters in Panaji.

Yadav also said that the anti-narcotics cell and the district police have been instructed to keep a sharp eye for drugs or psychotropic substances sold near the festival venue.

Sale of drugs at such mega music parties in Goa came to the fore with the death of Bangalore girl Meha Bharadwaj. Meha died due to suspected drug overdose at the Sunburn music festival in December.

The organizers of this festival, however, state on their website www.chakraviewfestival.com that the event was “the first ecological festival in India on the beautiful beach of Agonda”, which will have leading exponents of music from Israel, Russia, Belgium, Italy, UK, Hungary, etc and would feature music ranging from reggae, rock, African drums, etc, without a break for three days.

“Due to the influx of tourists in Goa, the beaches are no longer the pristine clean sands we once knew,” the website reads.

The website also states that the mission and vision of the music festival was “to give back (love) to the people of Goa and help restore this beautiful land in any small way we can”.

“Yoga and healing under the banyan tree, flea market and food shops around the organic farm, fire and juggling performances, camping areas, tree houses,” are some of the attractions pitched to a potential client on the website.

Speaking to IANS, local MLA of Canacona Vijay Pai Khot said that he was not aware of such a music festival in his constituency. “I do not know about it. Festivals like this should not be allowed here,” the BJP MLA said.

The organisers of the event could not be contacted on the phone numbers listed on the event’s website.