Closing time

Unsurprisingly,the justices werent taken in. Justice F.I. Rebello,in fact,proceeded to ask a series of questions that were as pertinent as they were exasperated.

After all,the judge pointed out,women can be exploited anywhere. Whats so special about bars? Are not,in fact,women rushing home to wash their husbands clothes after a hard days work also exploited? Indeed,is it the states business to interfere in what is clearly many womens choice of profession,one that,after all,isnt such a bad fit with Mumbais tradition of aspiration and self-improvement?

These are questions that the state government has consistently failed to answer. And that is not a shock: because the governments moral policing is as hypocritical as it is inconsistent. More than one observer has pointed out that the political message that underlies this is,once again,anti-outsider. This touch of xenophobia infects too much of Maharashtras mainstream politics. When put together with the statist illiberalism that believes that public morals can be whipped into line by pointless,cheerless and counter-productive bans,we are presented with the unfortunate spectacle of one of the most inept state governments in India turning its scarce resources towards putting a bunch of young women out of good jobs. A spectacle made only more ridiculous by the governments complete ineptitude at actually ensuring that more jobs are available to the thousands who flow,starry-eyed,into Mumbai daily.