Early hours for discos find little support

CHANDIGARH, April 22: The IGP's April 17 order to close discotheques at 10.30 p.m. has evoked a wide range of opinion: citizens speak the...

CHANDIGARH, April 22: The IGP’s April 17 order to close discotheques at 10.30 p.m. has evoked a wide range of opinion: citizens speak their mind to Chandigarh Newsline.

Regular disc-goer, Shefali (23) is against dance halls closing so early. "What about working people and couples? The fun of going out is only at night. It’s so hot … who’ll go at 4 p.m.?"

However, Sheenu, a PU Correspondence Department student, shrugs "I don’t mind dancing from early evening till early night . It’s always dark inside a disc. As it is, many girls have to lie to their folks to go to discs at night. Better to be without fear of getting caught."

"Ten-thirty? I have to be home by dinnertime!" says Himanshu, a Class XII student. He’s heard tales of unpleasant incidents and plans to ask his parents about extending his deadline when he goes to college. "Keeping order inside discos isn’t difficult. The real problem is irresponsible people creating nuisance".

But, there do not seem to be too many supporters of Sheenu and Himanshu in town. Most youngsters are vehemently opposed to the order, while parents cringe at the mere mention of discotheque.

Kanwal Basur, mother of two disco-loving children in their 20s says: "Send my daughter unaccompanied to a local discotheque? No! VIP brats, rowdies and frequent incidents of sexual harassment give me the jitters".

Her filmmaker son, Rummy, says banning discos is "running away from responsibility. Why don’t we deploy plainclothes security inside the joints?" Both mother and sons see basic disrespect for women as the root of the problem.

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Neha, a student of BA II, favours stricter police patrolling. "Personally, I have never encountered a nasty incident in a disco, but I can tell you all about vicious guys on city roads." Neha adds that it’s up to the individual to choose her or his company, dress properly and move soberly inside a disco.

Gyandev, a Class XII student, says common sense rules out a drive with strangers at 2 a.m. "I wonder at the level of maturity of the two women," he smirks. "The discs shouldn’t be punished for the stupidity of some people".

Meanwhile, disco-owners are distressed at the prospect of being closed down because of an incident involving adults that occured outside a discotheque. They ask why the axe falls on discotheques alone "after all, restaurants remain open past midnight. The Katia incident began at a hotel but the hotel wasn’t asked to close".