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The much-debated bill that seeks to shut down dance bars across the state was finally passed, despite the fact that concerns about the fate of the thousands of bar girls who will now become jobless remain unaddressed by the government
Maharashtra's controversial dance bar bill moved one step closer to becoming a state law with the state legislature unanimously passing the bill that bans dancing girls in bars and hotels, on July 23. However, despite its promises to rehabilitate the thousands of women who will be out of work because of the ban, the government has failed to announce any concrete plan to provide them with alternative livelihoods.
The bill was conceived by Maharashtra's deputy chief minister and home minister R R Patil four months ago, but met with stiff opposition not just from bar owners and dancers but also from several members of the Congress Party with whom Patil's party, the Nationalist Congress Party, is running a coalition government. "My intelligence officials have told me that there are politicians and police officials who are involved in the dance bars," was Patil's explanation for their stand.
An attempt by the home minister to get an ordinance passed on the issue also failed when the state's governor S M Krishna declined to give it his assent, asking the government to get it passed as a law in the legislature instead.
The bill, an amendment to the Bombay Police Act, 1951, provides for a blanket ban on dance bars across the state. Violators will face up to three years in jail plus a fine of Rs 2 lakh. Patil also made it clear that bar owners, not just managers, will face prosecution.
The Congress initially agreed to the ban in April, but later changed its tune with the party high command seeking a rehabilitation package for the affected bar dancers. The bill makes no mention of this. "We will think of helping these girls. Those who want help can apply through the Employment Guarantee Scheme and the Centre's Self-Help Group Scheme," was all Patil would commit to.
He made it clear that the government could not shoulder the responsibility of providing alternative employment to the bar girls, many of whom have migrated to the state from other parts of the country.
"This is really a very grave situation. Most of the girls have lost hope of being rehabilitated by the state government or other agencies," said Varsha Kale, president of the Indian Bar Girls Union. "The situation will become very alarming when all the 75,000 girls working in dance bars in the state are thrown out on the street after implementation of the order in the existing form," she added.
Patil, however, refuted the claim made by dance bar owners and the Bar Girls Association that there are 75,000 bar girls in the 307 official dance bars, saying that, according to government estimates, there were only between 4,500 and 7,500 girls, and only 4% were from Maharashtra.
Meanwhile dance bar owners across the state have decided to legally challenge the government's decision to shut down the bars on the grounds that they promote prostitution. "We will challenge the order in the Bombay High Court as soon as the notification to this effect is issued for implementation. We expect relief from the court as it is an issue of the livelihoods of so many people," says Manjit Singh Abrol, spokesperson of the Fight for Rights of Bar Owners Association.
The bill will now be sent to the governor for his seal of approval before it comes into force.
Source: Deccan Herald, July 22, 2005
NDTV, July 22, 2005,
IANS, July 22, 2005
The Indian Express, July 22, 2005
www.rediff.com, July 21, 2005
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