Susegad, easily the ‘Goan’ word most searched and written by those from outside yearning to board on to the Goa way of life, is known more for what it connotes than what it literally means. It’s a sense of time standing still, a languid pace of life, devoid of worry. Now, the idyll has been shattered. When Covid cases dropped in December and CM Pramod Sawant had his ‘I have a dream’ moment, he uttered three words that are now like an albatross around his neck: “Bhivpachi garaz na” (There’s no need to worry). Claiming that treatment facilities for Covid in Goa are the best in the country, he repeated the words in the assembly: “I say again bhivpachi garaz na, but we need to also do testing on time and take proper treatment.”
It is this that has led to Goa throwing up stunning Covid figures—its policy of come-one-come-all, in a flagrant attempt to keep business and tourism lobbies invested in the government. No one was prepared for this. On April 29, when Mumbai had...
