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As far as India is concerned—Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore (and Pune to a certain extent for its NH7) are the meccas of the independent music scene. Here, emerging musicians have found an appreciation for their sound, a viable platform for their calling, and a safe space for their tunes in front of a diverse audience. Music makes merry, and who’d have a problem with that, right? But that’s not quite the case in Bangalore, where almost 400 bars and pubs across the city have been issued notices to obtain licenses for playing live/recorded music, failing which they’d be forced to shut down.
This ‘Live Music Ban’, as it’s being called, has a long history (tainted with bureaucracy, corruption, and neverending judicial procedures) to it. According to the Licencing and Controlling of Places of Public Entertainment (Bangalore City) Order 2005, places of public entertainment like pubs, bars, and restaurants require a license if they wish to play music. But that’s not it. The 2005 order upheld by the Supreme Court mandates that, in order to get the license, pub-owners need to furnish a number of documents like a Bruhath Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP)-sanctioned building plan, a NOC issued by the Fire and Emergency Department etc. Many of which are quite difficult to obtain given the kind of red-tapism that exists in India.
For over a decade after the 2005 ruling, most places functioned without a glitch, despite not obtaining legal permission to play music. Until Bengaluru Police Commissioner T Suneel Kumar decided to restart the battle by setting a deadline of 15 days to get the license—apparently, in response to complaints against bars and pubs playing loud music beyond the permitted time and disturbing residents in the area.
While noise pollution is a legitimate concern and can be tackled in different ways like sound-proofing of venues, the idea that pubs and bars playing live music and serving liquor promote crime is not. Moreover, to take such a drastic step without thinking twice about how it’s going to affect everyone employed by these places, including musicians and small-time vendors, is itself negligent and unplanned. This is the kind of behaviour Indians are much too familiar with when it comes to the Indian government (remember Beef ban?).
To address this hasty step taken by the officials, The Humming Tree in Bangalore is organising a panel discussion to discuss the order, how it will affect the community, and the possible solutions to fight the situation at hand. Artists too are coming out in support as many earn their livelihood through live performances and the ban will seriously impact that. Dabjeet Basu, guitarist and composer of the music band Perfect Strangers, has launched an online petition addressed to the Home Minister on Change.org against the Live Music Ban. The petition, so far, has been signed by over 14,000 people.
With the 15-day notice period soon coming to a close, pub-owners in Bangalore are both angry and afraid of what might lay ahead. However, they’re determined to not let the authorities get in the way of their daily bread and butter. For the rest of us, the hue and cry might not seem worthy of our immediate concern. However, we do urge you to take a minute and sign the petition. One signature can go a long way.
Due to an overwhelming response to the event, the panel discussion will now be held at Vapour Pub and Brewery, Indira Nagar at 5 pm on 29 July 2018 (Sunday), instead of The Humming Tree.
Feature Image Courtesy: pluggnetworks.com
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