(The supposed-to-be-report which turned out to be more like an article.)
The recent event on moral policing in Mangalore has got the country shocked yet another time, wondering if the perpetrators' violent act of expression at the present generation which is in a transitory phase has yielded the results they wanted. The ripples of outrage and protests in the epicenter of the incident has not dampened the party goer's spirit across the urban cities in the country. While some of them feel that the chances of such incidents occurring in the city are slim, there are others who prefer to stay on the safer side even if it means altering the weekend plans to something less conspicuous.
The dance bars and pubs in Bangalore have heightened their security while the youngsters who decide to loosen over the weekend decide to go in larger groups than normal. "Not that it makes much of a difference," says Kajal (name changed) a 20 year old student from Mumbai. "The youngsters at Home Stay were in a large group but the mob was just bigger and driven to make a point. It has done nothing but made the present generation more rebellious to their "book of morals"," she adds. Other than the friday night parties which is a norm at almost all bars in the city, Ladies Night on Wednesdays are equally popular. An open bar and mainstream music with DJs act as an invite.
Then there are the less conspicuous pubs like Purple Haze and Jimi's, which in spite of the chilled out atmosphere and crowd have their own fan-following. "I guess it depends on the choice of music mostly," says Lesslie, a student from Chennai. These pubs are known predominantly for the choice of music, varying from classic rock with bands like Dire Straits and AC/DC, to alternative and soft rock music. "We don't have much of these in Chennai so I prefer going to places like Purple Haze when I come visit my friends in Bangalore. It has a great ambiance, excellent music and an energetic crowd," he adds.
Despite the many hotspots in Bangalore, there are still a fer people who prefer throwing private parties. It is usually organized at a house and the guests are people the host is familiar with. "House parties are fun! Its comfortable and we don't have to deal with too many rules. The booze is usually b.y.o.b (bring your own booze) and people don't mind because we are mostly students," says Shrishti, a recent graduate from Mumbai. The only apparent downside of throwing a house party is the restriction on loud music. Says Shyam, a 24 year old from Bangalore, "We cant play loud music past 10 in my building. I had to vacate my previous apartment because we had a little too many loud weekends and had to deal with the cops one of those times."
For some, house parties are also a way to unwind through drugs, and such gatherings usually have a well-knit group of people, who apart from drugs, share similar interests in the Arts. The music usually played here is post rock, psychedelic and blues. According to Ranjeet (name changed) "We love music. That's all we talk about. A bunch of us are into musical instruments and abstract art, so why not team it up with drugs and let the art flow?"
While the youngsters are busy frolicking around the tree of "morally" forbidden fruits, we have believers in the very same society living among us who feel that they have to be brought down to punishment. The societal unit which believed that the behavior of the present today's deserves to be punished has been making its presence evident. From the 2009 pub attack at Amnesia in Mangalore to the 2012 case of property invasion and molestation, news on moral policing has brought out views and opinions on the matter out in the open. According to Nidhi (name changed), a mother of two daughters from Mangalore believes that "such acts are destroying the religious and spiritual beliefs that have been in the country since centuries." When asked about her views on the recent case of molestation in the name of moral policing, the feels that the belief is right but the expression of violence has "nothing but made them look like a bunch of hooligans with no sense of how to handle a situation." If it was me, I'd first put the alcohol away and make sure that the girls are decently dressed and sit them down and have a detailed talk with them about the consequences of their actions," she adds.
While the question of consequences comes up, the legality of these actions is a big question mark. While alcohol consumption is altogether banned in Gujarat, Mizoram, Manipur and Nagaland, the legal drinking age for youngsters varies from 18 to 25 in the remaining states. In Karnataka it is 21. Most of them have tried alcohol by the age of 17 and have become occasional drinkers by 19 years old. While the youngsters are not asked for age proof at most of the dance bars and pubs in the city, Guzzlers Inn on Brigade Road and Firangi Pani in Forum Mall seem to be the only two places which actually follow the law. The dance bars seem to have no age limit for the entry of youth, either. While some want to dance and loosen up, others want to just sit back and enjoy the intoxication and company, but the oone thing that both these groups have in common is a drink in the hand to sync with the atmosphere, be it legal or otherwise.
The recent event on moral policing in Mangalore has got the country shocked yet another time, wondering if the perpetrators' violent act of expression at the present generation which is in a transitory phase has yielded the results they wanted. The ripples of outrage and protests in the epicenter of the incident has not dampened the party goer's spirit across the urban cities in the country. While some of them feel that the chances of such incidents occurring in the city are slim, there are others who prefer to stay on the safer side even if it means altering the weekend plans to something less conspicuous.
The dance bars and pubs in Bangalore have heightened their security while the youngsters who decide to loosen over the weekend decide to go in larger groups than normal. "Not that it makes much of a difference," says Kajal (name changed) a 20 year old student from Mumbai. "The youngsters at Home Stay were in a large group but the mob was just bigger and driven to make a point. It has done nothing but made the present generation more rebellious to their "book of morals"," she adds. Other than the friday night parties which is a norm at almost all bars in the city, Ladies Night on Wednesdays are equally popular. An open bar and mainstream music with DJs act as an invite.
Then there are the less conspicuous pubs like Purple Haze and Jimi's, which in spite of the chilled out atmosphere and crowd have their own fan-following. "I guess it depends on the choice of music mostly," says Lesslie, a student from Chennai. These pubs are known predominantly for the choice of music, varying from classic rock with bands like Dire Straits and AC/DC, to alternative and soft rock music. "We don't have much of these in Chennai so I prefer going to places like Purple Haze when I come visit my friends in Bangalore. It has a great ambiance, excellent music and an energetic crowd," he adds.
Despite the many hotspots in Bangalore, there are still a fer people who prefer throwing private parties. It is usually organized at a house and the guests are people the host is familiar with. "House parties are fun! Its comfortable and we don't have to deal with too many rules. The booze is usually b.y.o.b (bring your own booze) and people don't mind because we are mostly students," says Shrishti, a recent graduate from Mumbai. The only apparent downside of throwing a house party is the restriction on loud music. Says Shyam, a 24 year old from Bangalore, "We cant play loud music past 10 in my building. I had to vacate my previous apartment because we had a little too many loud weekends and had to deal with the cops one of those times."
For some, house parties are also a way to unwind through drugs, and such gatherings usually have a well-knit group of people, who apart from drugs, share similar interests in the Arts. The music usually played here is post rock, psychedelic and blues. According to Ranjeet (name changed) "We love music. That's all we talk about. A bunch of us are into musical instruments and abstract art, so why not team it up with drugs and let the art flow?"
While the youngsters are busy frolicking around the tree of "morally" forbidden fruits, we have believers in the very same society living among us who feel that they have to be brought down to punishment. The societal unit which believed that the behavior of the present today's deserves to be punished has been making its presence evident. From the 2009 pub attack at Amnesia in Mangalore to the 2012 case of property invasion and molestation, news on moral policing has brought out views and opinions on the matter out in the open. According to Nidhi (name changed), a mother of two daughters from Mangalore believes that "such acts are destroying the religious and spiritual beliefs that have been in the country since centuries." When asked about her views on the recent case of molestation in the name of moral policing, the feels that the belief is right but the expression of violence has "nothing but made them look like a bunch of hooligans with no sense of how to handle a situation." If it was me, I'd first put the alcohol away and make sure that the girls are decently dressed and sit them down and have a detailed talk with them about the consequences of their actions," she adds.
While the question of consequences comes up, the legality of these actions is a big question mark. While alcohol consumption is altogether banned in Gujarat, Mizoram, Manipur and Nagaland, the legal drinking age for youngsters varies from 18 to 25 in the remaining states. In Karnataka it is 21. Most of them have tried alcohol by the age of 17 and have become occasional drinkers by 19 years old. While the youngsters are not asked for age proof at most of the dance bars and pubs in the city, Guzzlers Inn on Brigade Road and Firangi Pani in Forum Mall seem to be the only two places which actually follow the law. The dance bars seem to have no age limit for the entry of youth, either. While some want to dance and loosen up, others want to just sit back and enjoy the intoxication and company, but the oone thing that both these groups have in common is a drink in the hand to sync with the atmosphere, be it legal or otherwise.
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