Go Goa! But at the risk of terror?

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Rajdeep Sardesai

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Keywords: Tourist, Terrorism

Panaji: The bombings in Egypt's famous tourist resort Dahab, which killed 23 people on Monday night, have once again brought holiday destinations in the spotlight as prime targets of terror.

Experts say trends in terrorism show ever since the Bali Bombings in Indonesia in 2002, holiday destinations have been prime targets of terror time and again.

India's own tourist hotspot Goa could well be the one potential target on the hit list of terrorists.

The first warning came on March 10 this year with the arrest of Tariq Jalal, an alleged operative of the Tehrik-ul-Mujahideen.

Jalal was caught with two hand grenades, two detonators and 1 kg of RDX from Margao railway station.

The police say Tariq's arrival in Goa was not an isolated incident.

"We are very clear that for for several reasons, Goa can be a target. There are many harbours and oil depots here and the fact that many Western tourists come here. Goa can be a potential target for terrorists," says a senior police official.

And it is simply because of these reasons that a repeat of the Bali-like bombings cannot be ruled out in this beach resort.

The police are in no mood to take any chances and are keeping their eyes wide open for potential trouble.

Police's suspicions have been confirmed with the arrest of another alleged Lashkar-e-Toiba operative, Shami Ahmed Shah, in Gulbarga in Karnataka on March 30.

Ahmed Shah had married a girl from Goa with the sole aim of setting up a base in the tourist paradise.

If intelligence agencies are to be believed, it's only a matter of time before terror comes calling on Goa. It's a warning the police have taken very seriously.

In fact, police have already put a vigilance system in place in order to keep terror at bay.

"We already have a quick reaction team and now a bomb disposal squad. Also, we are strengthening our intelligence apparatus and increasing security in places where tourists go," says Neeraj Kumar, DGP Goa.

But these stray incidents haven't scared tourists in this seaside paradise. "You've got to take your chances," says Faya Crossland, a Western tourist.