If you were hoping to spend your Christmas and New Year eve holidays in the salubrious climes of Bengaluru this time, you may like to quickly rethink your plan, as your local host may not be able to take you and your family on a wine-and-dine binge as most prestigious social clubs in the city are in mourning and have drawn a veil of prudery over themselves!
Bengaluru is always known for its joie de verve with its famous pub culture and not-so-famous liquor shop at every street corner. Ever since the Siddaramaiah government extended the bar timings to 1 AM a few months ago reversing a decade-old 11 PM curfew, the fun-loving people were having a whale of a time enjoying relaxed drinking rather than guzzling quickly to beat the deadline.
But in the last few days, the scene in most well-known clubs of Bengaluru has turned sombre after the state government authorities suddenly turned their 'evil eye' on them and started imposing ridiculous restrictions quoting some archaic rules in the Excise Act. Now, the members are forced to drink only in one designated place within the club premises as per the licence condition and in all other places including lounges and lawns, they can only have 'Nimbu-pani' and nothing more.
It all started with a pompous IPS officer, RP Sharma being involved in a fracas with a security guard at the hallowed 146-year-old Bangalore Club on November 5. Sharma is only a temporary member of the club in the services quota, but when the guard stopped his entourage of four vehicles and wanted to check his membership card, his ego got pricked and he blew his top. When the guard refused entry to more than one car, the constables accompanying Sharma reportedly beat him up. The guard received treatment at a hospital for his injuries.
After this incident, the Bangalore Club - which boasts of membership of many of the city's elite, including senior bureaucrats and former IAS officers - slapped Sharma with suspension notice. Acting with the vengeance of a wounded cobra, Sharma ensured that various wings of government machinery came down on the club like of a ton of bricks for alleged violations of rules.
The excise officials found that liquor was being served at multiple points allegedly against the rules; the civic officials discovered that two restaurants within the club premises were being run without proper 'licence.' They also said the departmental stores being run without access to the 'general public' violated the rules. The revenue officials declared that several buildings inside the 5-acre club did not have approved building plan. The pollution control board asked the club not to play loud music.
As notices rained on the Bangalore Club office-bearers, the excise department, having given 15 days' time to the club to reply, decided to act after only seven days and suspended its liquor licence. Bengaluru urban district deputy commissioner V Shankar, who is the licensing authority, claimed that he had "acted as per the law".
In order to show that they were not targeting only the Bangalore Club, the excise officials conducted raids on around 40 clubs across the city and ordered them to close down 'unauthorised' drinking areas. They have been told that the officials would conduct surprise checks in future and any club violating the rules will find their liquor licences cancelled.
Though Sharma and other officials have claimed that the crackdown had nothing to do with the incident involving Sharma's security staff with the Bangalore Club, it is quite obvious that it is a concerted action to teach the elite clubs a 'lesson'.
It is next to impossible to get membership of the Bangalore Club, where the waiting period is said to be over 30 years. The demand for membership of other prestigious clubs is also growing, with the fee going through the top and crossing Rs 10 lakh mark.
When some of the clubs refused membership to the elected representatives, a legislature committee was formed about two years ago to visit the clubs and report on the violation of rules. That report, which insisted that local MLAs should be given 'free membership' has fortunately been put on the backburner.
Those who were expecting Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to intervene in the current impasse and end the bureaucratic 'raid raj' have been disappointed as he has reportedly told the officials to take 'action' on the clubs without yielding to any kind of pressure.
It really means that the bullying babus of Bengaluru will continue to have a free run for some more time and come Christmas and New Year time, they will be branded as party-poppers!! So, it's better to keep off Bengaluru this holiday season!
(Ramakrishna Upadhya is a veteran editor from Bengaluru. He has earlier held senior editorial positions in The Indian Express, Telegraph, ETV and Deccan Herald)
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