Young Edge: Pune college students react to furore over freshers’ parties at pubs

The incident reported at Kiki Pub near Raja Bahadur Mills, where the MNS members allegedly barged into the club when the freshers’ party was underway, has brought to light the dubious parties in the city where underage students are allegedly served liquor, flouting excise norms.

Several college students in Pune have shared their responses with The Indian Express in view of the freshers’ party episode.

Priyanshu Banerjee, a journalism student at Vishwakarma University, has demanded a law to keep a watch on freshers’ parties and monitor if alcohol is served. “Personally, I don’t drive or smoke. Drinking by 17- and 18-year-old teens is illegal. But if it is a normal party and there is no alcohol served, the law should not be involved.”

Banerjee noted that many of his school friends who are aged 18 years are into alcohol or smoking and have skin and throat problems and recurring high fevers due to these addictions.

A first-year student from a college in Shivajinagar was involved in organising a similar freshers’ event last month at Kiki, the same club where the alleged incident occurred.

“We had strictly communicated to the students that there would be no alcohol served for the event. If we look from the student’s point of view, they just want to enjoy themselves. They don’t want the police to interrupt their enjoyment. But according to the law, higher official involvement is completely correct,” the student who did not wish to be named told The Indian Express.

He said that it is the job of the club to ensure that no alcohol is served to minors. “We strictly communicated to the club that after 10 pm, they should kick all of us (the students) out, and not serve alcohol. There should be a tag for ages showing who is below 18, below 21, and below 25,” he added.

Shantanu Kate, a first-year CA student at Brihan Maharashtra College of Commerce (BMCC), has also called for legislation to restrict freshers’ parties, especially those involving minors. “Allowing such gatherings is fine, but alcohol should never be served. Strict checks at the entrance, including Aadhaar verification, are necessary. This is not about laws or politics, but about moral responsibility. Students may feel restricted now. But over time, they will understand why an age limit is important. It is better to prevent such issues than wait for extreme conditions,” he said.

However, not everyone agreed. A student from MIT, pursuing a BCom in Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), felt the intervention was misplaced. “The law should matter mainly in checking fake IDs and security lapses. Political parties have no right to interfere in students’ enjoyment and freedom. They should have informed the police instead. Freshers’ parties should continue with rules and precautions,” said the student on condition of anonymity.

Viraj Paranjape is an intern with The Indian Express