Decks cleared for dance bars

Mumbai - Maharashtra CM says his govt is still in favour of ban.

Despite being snubbed several times over the past 10 years by the Supreme Court and the Bombay High Court, the Maharashtra government still favours banning dance bars in the state.
Hours after the Supreme Court on Thursday stayed a law enacted last year by the state government, banning dance performances at bars and other places, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said that the government would examine the apex court order and press ahead with its ban proposal.
Admitting in a tweet that the Supreme Court interim order mandates regulation instead of a ban, the BJP chief minister wants to continue with the policies of the previous Congress-NCP government, which had first announced the ban on dance bars that were hugely popular.
The apex court on Thursday stayed the 2014 amendment to the Maharashtra Police Act, which imposed a ban on dance performances at bars.
The Indian Hotel and Restaurant Association challenged the amendment in the Supreme Court. In 2013, the apex court had upheld the 2006 ruling of the Bombay high court, which had declared the ban on dance bars - imposed by the state government a year earlier - as unconstitutional, as it deprived tens of thousands of dancers, entertainers, waiters and other of their jobs. The government then came out with an amendment to get around the Supreme Court judgement.

Dance bars were widely popular in Mumbai since the 1980s. Thousands of customers would sit at restaurants and bars, watching women dance to Bollywood numbers. Many would shower currency notes on the dancers.
However, many legislators complained to the government that thousands of men, especially youngsters, were squandering money every night at the bars, ruining families not just in the cities, but even in villages.
There were also allegations that many of the bars were promoting prostitution.
The state government banned dance bars in 2005 and all political parties endorsed the move. However, the Bombay high court dismissed the order, and the judgement was upheld by the apex court. On Thursday, the Supreme Court asked the state government to regulate dance performances at bars and other places to prevent obscenity and the exploitation of women.
The Indian Hotels and Restaurants Association (AHAR) welcomed the apex court judgement saying they had got justice after 10 long years.
"We are keen to restart the dance bars as soon as possible. After getting the judgement copy, we shall hold a dialogue with the chief minister," AHAR president Adarsh Shetty told IANS.
He said the authorities must not view the dance bars as a social evil but as a means to attract tourists.
"Look at the vibrant night life in Bangkok, Shanghai or Istanbul and other cities worldwide. What does Mumbai have for tourists, barring local sight-seeing and good food?" Shetty asked.
He alleged that though hundreds of restaurants had applied for licences, the Mumbai Police sat on them for years though they collected all types of revenues from the hoteliers.

• India