Dance Bars Reopened

Written on 20 June 2006 and left as posted, apart from corrections marked in the text. It is not where I stand today.

It is good to know that the dance bars have been reopened. I think this was a quality and realistic decision by our judicial system which otherwise resorts to utterly failed attempts at moral policing and cultural conditioning of the masses (not to forget the role of the polity in pushing the judiciary).

With reference to prostitution, whether the dance bars are open or closed, the prostitution business will not be largely affected. Nor will anybody be able to stop the girls working there, from getting into prostitution because the system lacks that ability. Prostitution is one of the most organized businesses in our country (put some of the big players on test and they might just get an ISO 9000 or other such certification) and only lacks a legal sanction.

It will be impossible to remove prostitution from our society because it’s the society that created it in the first place. How can I say this? A few months ago there was a report on NDTV about nude dance shows in the elite class hotels of pondicherry. Such places are worse when compared to those dance bars. The hordes of men who were visiting such shows were not criminals or anti-social elements but the rich, well-to-do and even the middle class people who wanted to relax after a day’s hard work. I am sure that if these men are asked on camera about prostitution or dance bars they will despise it and talk about how it’s a cancer to the society.

So here is the society some of us want to civilize by closing the dance bars. Ok close the dance bars and these girls will be forced to go to the private parties that many such men have on their farm houses and there the risk they might face will be much higher. How many places are you going to go and how many dance shows will you shut down? What media is showing is just a tip of the iceberg.

Do you think that when dance bars were closed, there were no dance bars operating out there? NO. There were definitely a few dance bars open and working as usual. Needless to say, they were able to exploit the loop-holes in our system and were undetected or intentionally over-looked by the keepers of law (police).

What alternatives do we have for the employment of those girls who will otherwise be unemployed if the dance bars are permanently closed? When we are not even able to satisfy the employment needs of the educated section of the society (of which some dance bars girls may also be a part but a majority of them are not) what alternatives do we have for these girls? If they choose this profession, they should be allowed to practice it.

Looking at the bigger picture, I do not think anyone can be blamed for the existence of such businesses. Prostitution is the oldest profession in the world and dance shows are not far behind. Demand for it has existed in every society we have any record of, and no amount of policing has ended it anywhere. The arms of the law are long and iron, but the law is, after all, blind. Even if you close the bars the show will go on.

I recommend that let the dance bars be, go ahead and legalize prostitution as well so that some sort of order can be brought (including security for the sex workers and their customers) into this business. Not to forget the revenue government can make by way of taxes from all those people who are getting richer by the day from such businesses.