The 25 deaths at the nightclub in Arpora on December 7 were not merely the casualties of a party gone wrong but are human sacrifices offered at the altar of Goa’s “vibe” – an illusion packaged and sold, often by non-Goan wealthy elites, its cost underwritten by cheap human labour.

This tragedy isn’t limited to flouting safety norms or corrupt officials who let the club operate despite a demolition order 20 months before. At the core of this is a narrative that sells Goa as a morality-free zone for the mainland – a suspension of reality where the conservatism of Indian society holds no valency. This narrative creates a ferocious, insatiable desire to consume Goa, to eat its land, drink its water and burn its silence.

Over the past two decades, Goa has come to be defined as a scenic tourist destination and open to buyers of second homes escaping the hazardous air quality of their own cities. An entire economy has been built around this high-spending demographic who inhabit Goa as a tourist or a settler.

This trend has only increased post-Covid-19 in the “work from home” culture aided by India’s digital nomad community. This in turn has fueled a real-estate industry with wealthy Indians...

Read more