Goa: Sunburn causes heartburn as locals oppose ‘loud’ music fest

In a letter, the Mopa Vimantal Panchcroshi Pidit Jan Sanghathana has “requested” all the panchayats in Pernem, the local police and the Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) “to oppose the move of bringing Sunburn to our area.”

“We are aware that this festival, organised in the past in other parts of Goa, has been a nuisance to the local public. There were several complaints from people in those areas regarding drugs, alcohol and other illegal activities taking place during the said festival,” Uday Mahale, who represents the collective, told The Indian Express.

“If a proposal to shift the festival to Mopa is accepted, we will stage large scale protests,” he said.

For the past few years, the Sunburn Festival has been held at the Vagator Beach. Speculation of a change in venue this year, possibly to Mopa, 30 km away and in close vicinity to the Manohar International Airport, came to fore when Pernem MLA Pravin Arlekar told the state Assembly during the recently held Monsoon Session that he will not allow the festival in the area.

Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte had then replied that there was no request to hold the festival at Mopa and that the event would require a no-objection certificate from the Tourism Department.

The Pernem MLA’s objections had come months after the Goa Bench of the Bombay High Court, while hearing a petition in January over violations of norms at the festival, flagged “higher than permissible” noise levels at the event and also sought a report from the Chief Secretary over the issue.

For this year’s edition, while the festival’s Instagram page says it will be held from December 28 to 31, there’s no clarity on the venue so far. Even the official poster of the festival which was released a few weeks ago does not mention the venue. A spokesperson of Percept Limited, which organises the event, did not respond to queries for comment.

A senior government official, requesting anonymity, told The Indian Express, “The government is yet to receive a formal proposal from the organisers recommending change of the festival venue.” Goa chief secretary Puneet Kumar Goel said he was not aware of any proposal to change the venue of the event.

Calangute MLA Michael Lobo said he believes events like Sunburn should be held on beaches, with all the requisite permissions, where all the requisite facilities are available.

Lobo said, “I practically feel that events like Sunburn should happen on the beach. If they [organisers] don’t want it at Anjuna, Vagator, Chapora, they can go even to the South Goa beaches. But, it should happen close to the beach, with all the requisite permissions. If they want to shift the festival at Mopa, there is no infrastructure there, as in restaurants, guest houses or hotels in close vicinity. The best way out is a beach destination, where all the requisite facilities are available.”

“The meaning of Sunburn is all about the sun and you get the burns of the sun…and that is the sand and the beach. Its next to the beach. So people chill out the whole day on the beach and they come for Sunburn event at 4.30 (evening)…” added Lobo.