This story is from September 2, 2007

Unequal laws rob us of our nightlife

TNN / Sep 2, 2007, 00:00 IST

Text Size

Small
Medium
Large

Why are there two set of laws for Delhiites, with an obvious tilt towards those who can spend?

doweshowbellyad=0;

WHO WILL ROCK THE PARTY? (TOI Photo)Only foreigners and the elite seem to have the license to party in the city, the majority of Delhiites have to head back home around midnight.If you can afford to live it up at five-star hotels, things may change drastically for you soon. With a new proposal asking for bars and pubs at these premier partying places to remain open 24x7, as revealed by DT earlier, it is something to look forward to.However, if you - like the majority of Delhiites - cannot afford to spend so much every week or can't travel to these few hotspots frequently, the news isn't so good.
Your license to party ends at 1 in the night when stand-alone bars will be asked to shutdown under the proposed law. So, the message is clear - party only if you have deep pockets or are foreigners who are staying at five-star hotels. DT questions why there are two set of laws for Delhiites, with an obvious tilt towards those who can spend. SS Yadav, Delhi's excise commissioner, explains, "As per the new Delhi Excise Bill 2007, bars can remain open till 1 in the night and five-star hotels, if they wish to, can keep all their bars open 24x7. Also, earlier the stand-alone discs and bars could remain open till 1 on any seven days of the year, but now, they can remain open till 2 on 50 days in a year."
But why is the largesse of the excise department limited to five-stars? Says Atul Kapoor, owner of Qba and @live , "Most of Delhi's population gets free from work post 10.30 pm. However, they can't go out to party because all places close by 12. I receive many calls daily saying, 'Kya fayda aane ka, 12 baje to bandh ho jayega' . So, what happens to the large working population of Delhi that can't afford five-stars?"
Others can't agree more. Says Hemant Abbot, an IT executive, "I get free from office after 10 pm and reach home by 11 or so. After that, what is the point of driving in Delhi's crazy traffic if you can chill out for just one hour after reaching the place? And it is so irritating because that's the only time you ever get to party."

Students have another point to raise. Says Raja Malhotra, a DU student, "Five-stars are too expensive for people like me. We only have our pocket money to depend on and the five-stars are out of our range. We frequent the stand-alone jointsâ€¦ things could have been cooler if their timings were better."
Ask all of them what timings they would like and 'keep them open 24x7' is what they ask for. "But at least they should remain open till 4 am. And as there is a clause wherein bars timings can be different on any 50 days, why not extend the timings to round the clock on those 50 days? After all,we also want to chill out," says Abbott.

Finally, the government is in accord too. Says Delhi Tourism minister Arvinder Singh Lovely, "It is always better to have a legally-backed system in place rather than having people rush to such places at 11. We have always proposed ideas like extension of timings for restaurants, bars etc. so that people can go out and have a good time." Time for the government to put its money where its mouth is? While five-stars will be winners all the way with these laws, stand-alone pubs are badly hurt. "From 8 to 10.30 pm, the business is zero. The authorities have to understand that real business for bars and discs begins after midnight, and unfortunately we are losing out on it because of the t i m i n g s, " laments Anshuman Kapur, chairman, Ministry of Sound. He further adds, "The existing rules are confusing and biased. After having invested so much money, we have to fight really hard to survive. I am afraid this will not encourage people to invest in this industry." They contend that they can offer everything that five-stars offer to people. "Like five-stars , we also provide high quality services and security. If we get 24-hour licenses, the quality of services will only improve," says Saurabh Khanijo from Ivy. But if that doesn't happen, Delhi's nightlife will be limited to a few people who can afford five-stars. Dhiraj from Shalom says, "Only a few will dare to invest in this industry now. We are not being given the same opportunities as the five-stars. Is the right to be entertained reserved only for select few?" Defends Pravin Nayyar, owner of Capitol, which was given a 24-hour license, "Five-star hotels see only outsiders and tourists coming in. It is important that they have a place which serves them all night long. That is why airport restaurants were given this license." But this point of view again reiterates that foreigners and outsiders come first for the authorities. As Kapoor says, "Granted that five-stars need special rules because they have to paint a positive picture of Delhi in front of foreigners, but why is the government not thinking about the majority? To make Delhi a world-class city, we need diverse entertainment options that cater to the needs of everybody."

End of Article