A group of 10“12 tourists from Karnataka allegedly crashed their vehicle into the rear of a local resident’s car, triggering a heated argument near the Mapusa taxi stand on March 26, 2026. The situation worsened when the tourists reportedly began verbally abusing the local man in front of his family. The confrontation soon turned physical, with the group allegedly assaulting him. As tensions rose, the accused tourists tried to flee the scene but were intercepted and caught by alert locals in the area.
The reason why domestic tourists, especially those coming in groups and popularly referred to as ‘bhingtakaars’, are lately seen flexing their muscles against locals on flimsy excuses in different parts of the State is because they have understood what they see as the weakness of many local Goans. For example, they know that if one local is physically assaulted in a public place, other Goans often do not intervene or try to save their fellow Goan, but instead stand like mute spectators and watch from the sidelines.
Secondly, these tourists may feel that Goa is a lawless state, or at least a place where alcohol-fuelled behaviour is common, and because of this they can indulge in almost anything ” consume unlimited alcohol, do drugs, drive drunk, misbehave with locals, and still get away after allegedly paying a small bribe to the men in uniform, namely the Goa Police.
I believe Goans should now learn to show greater unity, though many may doubt this due to the so-called crab mentality and the ‘mhaka kiteak podlam’ attitude, by standing firm, especially against tourists arriving in groups and displaying ‘dadagiri’ under the influence of alcohol against fellow Goans in public places. Only then can there be real change in the attitude and behaviour of nuisance-creating tourists visiting Goa in the future.
