And the award for Man of the Year goes to Formalin in Goa

And the award for Man of the Year goes to Formalin in Goa

Who should be chosen as Man of the Year is often a cause of a big debate and excitement but this year the chosen one is a certainty, as there is no second choice. Sir Formalin’s name is on every Goan’s tongue, and inside every Goan’s mind and heart. Nothing fishy about this!

For six months now Goans have been living in fear of Mr Formalin, even more afraid of him than Big Brother, and praying to the Almighty for a miracle to end this daily 24-hour nightmare. The statements and counter-statements of the government have been in excess, and unfortunately now it is impossible and too late for the people of Goa to trust this coalition government; however much the people of Goa may desire. Not only Rome but also trust cannot be built in a day. Sadly, both can be destroyed within twenty-four hours.

On the day Iva Fernandes - Goa’s Joan of Arc - made her shattering historic announcement of formalin in fish brought into Goa from outside the state, all hell broke loose! It is a day which will go down in Goa’s history as the day consumer consciousness was born, and this day should be celebrated annually. This government and subsequent governments will have to take note of this development if they are to survive in future.

The demand, outrage and cry for healthy food has only just begun;

Goans want checks on all food items - fish, meat, fruit, vegetables, milk products, everything - to be mandatory, not a favor bestowed by the government on the people but a basic right of the consumer. It is an issue which will not go away however much any government in future may fantasize; also, building a great amount of infrastructure will not be able to replace the demand for healthy food. As the sage from Ponda observed years ago, we cannot eat bridges. Besides they are not tasty, and too hard for old and even young people to bite ...

The state-of-the-art fish market in Margao which some claim is the finest in India resembles a ghost town with a few curious shoppers carefully checking the fish suspiciously. Fish saleswomen and fish salesmen who have been selling formalin-laced fish may have fallen ill with pneumonia from breathing in the gas. They could also have gotten cancer from breathing over a long period of time the gas emitted by formalin-laced fish. A Goan tragedy, this.

Selling fish in Goa is obviously a dangerous occupation, and fish sellers should be screened before it is too late. A study must be undertaken immediately to help these people who can easily fall victim to cancer, including breast cancer. The people who bought fish could also fall seriously ill from formalin gas poisoning just like the fish sellers. No, this isn’t a horror story from the imagination of Edgar Allen Poe. It is real, and is in need of a real solution.

The good news is the government is promising state-of-the-art laboratories to check formalin in fish. The bad news is media reports have been informing the public how unregistered trucks have been bringing fish from outside the state. Is this how the government is managing this problem even when it is a hot topic?

What will happen six months from now? The Goan women - protectors of the Goan household - are understandably shocked and super cautious after they discovered how it has been possible for unregistered trucks to bring into Goa and merrily sell formalin-laced fish from other states. Is the life of a Goan completely worthless?

We’re now suddenly being told how formalin is not harmful when taken within permissible limits and in cooked food. Will the Goan public buy into this propaganda? Next, get ready to hear how it might even be good for you. Stop taking your daily vitamins and take a regular dose of formalin.

While in advanced foreign countries this kind of behavior is unthinkable, these kind of goings-on are worsening the situation by the day. When the food we eat is not safe, what can we do? When the government makes all kinds of claims but the facts tell a different story, what choice does the Goan consumer have?

Advanced technology does not make us an advanced country. We make (and assemble) and use motorcycles, cars and home appliances sourced from Japanese and German technology, among others. Does it mean Goa and Goans are similar to Japanese or Germans? No need to wait for an answer for this one.

The importers of fish have acquired a very Goan behavioristic trait:

do wrong and then go on the offensive. They want the government to ban formalin. The issue is formalin-laced fish which they have brought in from outside the state and which they have been allegedly bringing into Goa for years, and which recently has been discovered, thanks to Iva Fernandes.

It is shocking to discover how the fish importers have not been taken to task, and have not received punishment after causing major damage to the health of the public. The import of fish has to be stopped permanently. They, so far, have escaped jail. How many people may have fallen seriously ill or even died because of their greed and wickedness?

We Goans don’t need them. We have enough of fish for our needs. We want a permanent ban on imports and exports. When Goan export of fish is banned there naturally will be a decrease in foreign exchange.  While this is obvious, the decrease in foreign exchange cannot be bartered for Goan lives. Besides, Goans today eat all kinds of fish so they will not have any problem to sell their fish locally. And, then of course, there are the tourists.

Benaulim ramponkars have a heart of gold. Since the formalin tsunami they have been selling fish on the beach, straight from their boats.  Other ramponkars have yet to show their love for their village. They sell the fish in Margao which is caught in villages where they live.  They expect the local village fish sellers to go all the way to Margao to buy fish and bring it back to the village from where it was caught - and where the ramponkars live. They have no heart or at least none has been discovered so far.

The government has to provide cold storage facilities to the ramponkars and Goan mechanized trawlers after a permanent ban on the import and export of fish. By doing so, the checking of fish consumed by the Goan public becomes much more manageable. Otherwise, unlike the Benaulim ramponkars, soon formalin and other chemicals will be found in local fish too, as not all ramponkars have a heart of gold.  Otherwise, the new titar for the season will not have changed. Only the cast of characters.

The story of Goa going to the pigs is not new, with pollution and corruption levels soaring beyond our wildest imagination. While Goa is still better than a lot of places in India it is no consolation. The destruction is mind-boggling, and is no secret. With the decline of mining and tourism Goa’s economy is already limping, and in need of serious surgery.

What will the Goan consumer do for New Year’s Day? Last year, I gave a Christmas party for children of various communities, and had a lot of fun doing it. I was Santa Claus! Unfortunately, the spirit of Christmas has dried up in me and I did not celebrate this year.

I hear rumors Santa Claus did not visit Goa this year. It is said he was re-thinking his plan of visiting Goa this year, and decided against it. Is he as cautious as I am? Is he also afraid of Mr Formalin?

Will Goans vote with their feet and not buy fish from the fish markets? There is no doubt the fish business is in serious trouble.  How much worse will it get?