Bangalore protests as fresh curbs derail nightlife
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Exactly three years ago when the then Dharam Singh-led Congress-JDS government did it, it was called the 'Talibanisation of Bangalore'. Now with the new BJP Government tightening the screws on nightlife in Bangalore, protestors are calling it 'Bangalore bleeding'.
With the Bangalore police deciding to go strictly by the book again all restaurants with live bands and dancing have been banned. Over the past two Sundays musicians, artistes, disc jockeys and Bangalore's partying public have been protesting the reinforced ban at the Mahatma Gandhi statue in central Bangalore. Participating in this Sunday's protests, writer and theatre personality Girish Karnad said the decision to ban live music lacked logic. "It will affect artistes adversely. Instead of going after criminals the police are going after musicians," he said.
Despite the protests featuring over 1000 people on Sunday, the Bangalore police cracked down on as many as 32 discotheques operating without valid licenses in the city. Nightlife in the city is governed by 'The licensing and controlling of places of public entertainment (Bangalore City) order, 2005' and the Karnataka Excise Act of 1965.
The licensing order makes it mandatory for all places offering live entertainment to be licensed by the police after meeting strict standards. The Act prevents places serving alcohol from staying open beyond 11:30 pm and women from dancing in places where alcohol is sold.
Though, the state home department has indicated a move to modify the laws to reduce restrictions on nightlife, no legislative action has been taken yet. New Bangalore police commissioner Shankar Bidari has stated that he is willing to consider relaxation of nightlife rules if he receives sufficient representation from the public.
The existing laws has resulted in a tussle between owners of lower end dance bars and the upper end lounge bars and discotheques. The introduction of the licensing rules for cabarets, dance bars, discotheques and live bands in June 2005 had resulted in a clampdown on all forms of dancing at public entertainment spots in Bangalore.
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