Police instructed to crack down on Goa raves: is the party over?
The Chief Minister's orders were issued after two people died from suspected drug overdoses at a recent event...
Long considered the ultimate hedonistic getaway, police have been instructed to crack down on Goa raves and free parties in a bid to curb a perceived increase in the use of illegal substances in the Indian state.
Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar's orders arise from concerns about youth culture in the area, which has been plagued by high unemployment rates leading to what many consider a lack of direction for young people, which is thought to be a major contributor to the use of drugs.
"Rave parties on beaches or remote areas should be totally stopped... ...Late night rave parties are illegal and it is where drugs are consumed and distributed," Parrikar told Indian media.
Figuring out what people are taking at parties has also become an increasing problem for local authorities, with new types of narcotics proving hard tackle.
"[The] complexity of drugs has increased and there are many drugs which cannot be identified easily. That is one challenge that the police are facing," said Parrikar.
The statements were partly made in response to reports that two party-goers had died from suspected drug overdoses at an event in the village of Anjuna, northern Goa, which is renowned for its weekly flea market, laidback hippy lifestyle, and decade-spanning trance all-nighters, attracting alternatives and travellers since the 1960s, and even going so far as to lend its name to Above & Beyond's imprints, Anjunadeep and Anjunabeats, as a result of its influence on the genre.
