Goa govt cancels music festival, Russia says move may hit ties - The Times of India
NEW DELHI/PANAJI: In a strong statement, the Russian embassy on Saturday called as "unfriendly and contrary to common sense" the Goa government's decision to cancel the Indo-Russian Rock Festival which was to begin on Friday at Baga.
"It is a rather strange and rather weird decision, Goa's authorities have made. The cultural event, like the festival, which was approved beforehand, does not have and may not have anything with problems of transport services or serving Russian tourists in Goa," Russia's ambassador to India Alexander Kadakin told Itar-Tass.
Such reckless actions are contrary to the stated intention of the government of zGoa to turn it into a world class resort," the statement said.
A large number of Russian tourists had gathered in Goa for the two-day event, and the performing bands had even started doing their sound checks when they were informed that chief minister Manohar Parikkar had not given the festival a green signal.
Calangute MLA Michael Lobo said the festival had to be cancelled as the dates clashed with the novenas held at the Calangute chapel.
Addressing mediapersons in Panaji, Alexey M Mzareulov, Russia's deputy consul general in Mumbai, said, "Tourism is one of the chief components of Russian-Indian cooperation and firenship and by cancelling this cultural event, Goa has provoked the loss of this friendship."
MEA will not intervene as the music festival is a private venture. Kadakin said the number of Russian tourists, who make up over 1,20,000 of the almost 3 million tourists visiting Goa annually, could dwindle.
The cancellation of the festival is also being seen as the result of a battle between tour operators and local taxi drivers. Russians have been taking up as jobs in Goa as tourist guides and operators, cornering the Russian business and creating problems for local tour operators.
There have been instances of Russian tourists being threatened in Goa. Russia opened a tourist information centre recently and issued guidelines, warning them against taking services of illegal companies.
Kadakin, however, said, "Those are different aspects. The authorities should rather focus on correction of inadequate taxi tariffs." The diplomat said,"It is unfair that local taxi drivers strip Russian tourists, who have to save their modest earnings for several years to come to Goa."
NEW DELHI/PANAJI: In a strong statement, the Russian embassy on Saturday called as "unfriendly and contrary to common sense" the Goa government's decision to cancel the Indo-Russian Rock Festival which was to begin on Friday at Baga.
"It is a rather strange and rather weird decision, Goa's authorities have made. The cultural event, like the festival, which was approved beforehand, does not have and may not have anything with problems of transport services or serving Russian tourists in Goa," Russia's ambassador to India Alexander Kadakin told Itar-Tass.
Such reckless actions are contrary to the stated intention of the government of zGoa to turn it into a world class resort," the statement said.
A large number of Russian tourists had gathered in Goa for the two-day event, and the performing bands had even started doing their sound checks when they were informed that chief minister Manohar Parikkar had not given the festival a green signal.
Calangute MLA Michael Lobo said the festival had to be cancelled as the dates clashed with the novenas held at the Calangute chapel.
Addressing mediapersons in Panaji, Alexey M Mzareulov, Russia's deputy consul general in Mumbai, said, "Tourism is one of the chief components of Russian-Indian cooperation and firenship and by cancelling this cultural event, Goa has provoked the loss of this friendship."
MEA will not intervene as the music festival is a private venture. Kadakin said the number of Russian tourists, who make up over 1,20,000 of the almost 3 million tourists visiting Goa annually, could dwindle.
The cancellation of the festival is also being seen as the result of a battle between tour operators and local taxi drivers. Russians have been taking up as jobs in Goa as tourist guides and operators, cornering the Russian business and creating problems for local tour operators.
There have been instances of Russian tourists being threatened in Goa. Russia opened a tourist information centre recently and issued guidelines, warning them against taking services of illegal companies.
Kadakin, however, said, "Those are different aspects. The authorities should rather focus on correction of inadequate taxi tariffs." The diplomat said,"It is unfair that local taxi drivers strip Russian tourists, who have to save their modest earnings for several years to come to Goa."
