Moral Policing

Is It Taking A Toll On The Future Of The Indian Hospitality

While tourism is being nurtured with continual exemptions, hospitality has off late been at the receiving end of step-motherly treatment, particularly in the form of 'Moral Policing'. Express Hotelier & Caterer presents the hospitality industry's view on the issue of moral policing and its effects to the growth of hotel and restaurant business

The recent ban on dance bars in Maharashtra has sent the country's hospitality industry reeling under a feeling of insecurity while its business is rather ironically witnessing the best of times in recent years. The reason most easily apparent for their concern is the levels of moral policing being enforced by the state, which industry analysts generally feel is bizarre.

Ban on dance bars, time-frame on bars, discos, pubs and restaurants, socialites involved in drug possession and indulgence while in high profile restaurants or parties - all have contributed its bit towards the insecurity, which the industry feels might effect them awfully given the government's reaction and policy making.

There was widespread resentment when the ban was enforced in Maharashtra and people believed that the Congress-NCP regime acted like a prejudiced imitation of the Shiv Sena. The decision raised many eyebrows and more questions. What will the government gain from this ban? If trafficking is to be controlled, is there any guarantee that it will cease, the moment a ban is enforced? If the government has today banned dance bars, whose to say they wouldn't consider doing the same for night clubs in hotels or worse, may even ban women from working in the hospitality industry.

In Bangalore, which was also banned from dancing, there was huge uproar. It was being touted by many as a dictator's rule in one of the fastest growing cities in the country and Dharam Singh, the chief minister was stern when juggling with 'places of public entertainment' and 'places of public amusement'. Bangalore is now forced to sleep by 11.30pm.

A new law called 'Licensing and Controlling of Public Entertainment Order, 2005,' has been put to effect in the city. Though it was to restrict the illegal growth of live bands or dance bars, even lounge bars, restaurants and discotheques are now struggling to meet the given, stringent licensing conditions.

Night Life in Chennai is currently sober thanks to strict orders from the city police commissioner to stop serving liquor in all pubs and hotels by 11.00 pm. Discotheques have also been told to shut down early. The city has only a couple of stand alone discotheques with mostly of them attached with hotels. According to the industry, nightlife in Chennai is the worst compared to other metros. Delhi has been the hub of controversies when it comes to Nightlife. Several high profile cases have emerged from the capital's 'happening' restaurants, pubs or discos. While today most outlets limit themselves to five-star hotels, people too are frequenting them rather than preferring stand-alone outlets.

Considering these new 'developments' in few of the news-making cities, the industry is disappointed by the stance taken by concerned authorities as well as the respective government in the shadow of social values and morals.

Sanjeev Kapoor, Master Chef

Moral policing will definitely impact business adversely and the question is 'Should it be done?' One has to look at all terms to come to a conclusion. If you look at the short term, the policing will effect in the short term, it may effect in the mid-term but in the long term, we are looking at a scenario where we have to consider social values. I feel, we can survive with ethical values in business thus creating value in the end. I feel finally, we should look at moral policing with a long-term perspective.

Rahul Akrekar, Restaurateur

Moral Policing is an absurd and medieval concept. People everywhere are working hard and at the end of the day they just want sometime to chill but because of something like this, one just cannot have the best at the end of the day. We have very absurd laws and rules in the country, and the policy making process is totally without focus. Such concepts are just killing creativity, which will finally reflect in our culture, in the long term. Finally, we will just end up with a bunch of boring people in the country.

H A Mishra, Managing Director, Foodesign Systems Associates

My understanding of this whole scenario is completely different. People today are more concerned on appearing on page 3 rather than having good food. I have seen that in a good restaurant today, one can hardly find about 15 per cent people enjoying food, while the rest 85 per cent are there just for fun and here fun has a larger meaning to it. The dance bars were very misleading when the youth are concerned, which increased the incidence of illegal activities along with it. Such misleading concepts should not be promoted and while there might be some effect on the food business, it is time that it is handled in a more mature manner.

Ravi Wazir, Vice President, Projects & Development - Galaxy Entertainment Corporation Limited

I feel moral policing should be totally eliminated and be replaced by regulations which are well defined. But another aspect is to pursue the food business in a professional manner, with all the necessary structure in place. One just cannot have loose-ends attached when running a mature business.

Sudhir Jinnah, F&B Manager, Rodas Ecotel

Moral policing is definitely effecting business and the impact is huge on the revenue. The customers today know what is good and what is bad as their socio-economic position is high but then such kind of embargo is taking off a big business chunk from restaurateurs and others in the business.

Jeffrey D' Crasta, vice president, MRJ Group

With Bangalore shutting dance bars, food business has been significantly effected. It is all about perception either from the customer or from the police. We have a lounge bar, which used to do really good business till they banned dance bars. People do not understand that there is a huge difference between a lounge bar and a dance bar. Police now come to our lounge bar and ask us to close shop before 11.30 pm. People just do not get enough time to settle down. The foot fall to our outlet has reduced drastically since the ban.

Vishnuvardhan Bhat, Hospitality consultant, Bangalore

It is sheer irony by which the government policies try to dwarf down growing business in the name of moral policing. There are many other ways to control illegal activities if the government takes a streamlined approach. But unfortunately, our government is always trying to take the easy way out rather than finding a beneficial solution. Nightlife has been erased from Bangalore and people just depend upon farm house parties, which again are for the elite. Pubs, discos, lounge bars, restaurants etc are a way of life for people who work hard the entire day and just want a place to be themselves. While values does have to play a eminent role in governing our lives, but then people are mature enough to understand their limits. You just cannot point out a couple of high profile cases to put an embargo of such extremes.

Dippender Singh Sachdev, President, AHAR

The current situation will not just be restricted to dance bars but will effect other sectors of the hospitality industry also. AHAR was always against the growing dance bar culture from so long, but then the government never took any steps. Now suddenly, they are making new policies at their will, which I feel are totally unnecessary. It is one way of targetting the industry. They have already bifurcated the industry into south India outlets, fast food outlets, permit rooms, fine dining restaurants, etc. We, as fools have been party to all this for so long, but now things are going over board. With such rampant policies by the government, soon a time will come when they will even close down bars, pubs and discos too.

Dhiraj Arora, Restaurateur, New Delhi

I feel the dance bar issue has been finally addressed. Dance bars are a big modem for prostitution and I think it should not be allowed. I think the average society of this country is still not educated enough about sexually transmitted diseases therefore any kind of dance bar or any other entertainment industry which acts like a mobiliser for multiple sex partners and prostitution should not be allowed. As regards the timings of the bars and discos, all departments realise that more servings and extended timings will only give more and more revenue to the state but still the timings are kept under scanner as the revenue should not come at the cost of lives. One can not imagine how many hit and run cases will happen every day if the timings are changed largely. I feel the timings should be governed by the local police department as they are the ones who are answerable for the law and order situation. Though I have a big objection on the excise department having different timings for hotels and stand alone restaurants. If I remember correctly, this difference was kept in earlier days to accommodate flying crews who used to check in late into hotels so that they could enjoy the bar facilities. Now the department must realise that even the stand alone restaurants cater to best of society and the international traveller. Also, there cannot be any law and order difference if a bar in a hotel is serving later than the bar outside. Its all the same.