So the “news” finally appeared in all the local news papers today. The allegations were approximately as follows – (Please check each newspaper for exact stories)
1. Kannada Prabha – which alleged that there was a “Live Band” playing in there. That was their Headline!
2. Prajavani – The article that mentioned the incident stated that the restaurant “Fuga” was running a discotheque.
3. Deccan Herald – The article mentioned that allegations were made by the activists that the discotheque that was running was “against Indian Culture”.
4. Indian Express – This article mentioned the variations of the above including the “live band” and the “discotheque” and the “culture” issue.
Most articles mentioned that there was “Ganja” and “Charas” being served at “Fuga” and how the guests at the club were seen coming out of there with their faces covered!
Now, I was inside! and let me state what I saw and what actually happened.
1. There was no “live band”, there was no band! let me repeat that .. there was NO BAND!
2. NO ONE serves “Charas” and “Ganja” in a club!! Get over it! its not that easy to score drugs even if you want to! Its not sold over the counter!
3. What is this “Culture” that we are trying to safeguard? Is dancing to music such a big crime? Is wearing a skirt a crime? Which part of what happens in a regular club is a crime? And I can vouch that there were very regular things happening! Worse things happen on MG Road on the street and that is even public knowledge! I don’t see anyone going and doing anything about it!
If you read some of the reports, then you will read about how the police went in and checked the place and found NO EVIDENCE of any wrong doing! and I can guarantee that because .. I was in there and I saw it! So doesn’t the press now need to try and get the actual story out? Can’t the management of Fuga or someone sue these chaps for such slander?
Now as a result of this, the group “Hoysala Sene” got its 15 minutes of fame and made a splash in the local press. Congrats boys! you have now arrived! But what was actually proven? What was the point of this? I read that someone from the Hoysala Sene has video evidence of the wrong doing in the club, why not publish that?
I am not a party animal and this was my first time at Fuga and it is a nice place and I really liked the way they handled the whole crisis. But what I don’t get is, first, there are these million rules in place that prevent people from even going out. Next, it is clear that you can just randomly accuse anyone and get away with it! What is happening to my city?
December 29th, 2008 - 12:59 am
I cannot believe what the hell is going on. Media, politics together make a letahl cocktail. Idjits. All of em. Round em up, tar n feather em.
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December 29th, 2008 - 7:23 am
Its madness! and this is not the first such incident in Bangalore. They have gone and done this at multiple clubs and a few Fashion Shows. They are looking to take on the mantle of the new ‘Moral Police’ in Bangalore I think!
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December 31st, 2008 - 12:01 am
Well, (if I read correctly) the article in Deccan doesn’t take a stand about Fuga, and states the culture issue as an allegation made by the “activists”. The generally aware reader would (hopefully) be able to put things in perspective.
As for what happened – I agree that it seems to be another example of the things one can apparently get away with. Since their culture-infringement related claims simply don’t make sense, and I cannot backtrace my way to any logical motive – only explanation seems to be that this is somebody’s idea of fun
And I suspect they are banking on the fact that nobody has the time/energy to follow up on the (il)legality of this sort of thing.
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December 31st, 2008 - 12:24 am
Neel – Absolutely! I know and understand that Deccan Herald did not take a stand. That is part of the issue I have with what they reported. Like the lyric in one of the songs from Rush, “If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice”
If a newspaper is going ga-ga over a bunch of girls hiding their faces as they came out and reporting this incident, they are directly implying that there was something wrong happening there and that is how a majority of the newspaper readers will infer it. That to me is wrong! If you are stating the news, then state both sides of it.
I have made a change to the post though to mention that the “activists” alleged the culture issue.
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December 31st, 2008 - 1:02 am
“If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice” – quite so
Incidentally, I don’t understand the conventions adopted by media very well. I would guess that a section is reserved for reports, where a as-matter-of-fact-as-possible presentation is called for. And when/if the media has a voice/opinion/stand of its own, I imagine it would be expressed in a different column (discussion/debate/whatever).
As for the restricted interests of the reporters who were at the scene — SIGHS! I agree completely in that any reporter should have, at the very least, picked up some perspective from the other side. The lack of basic sensibility is quite appalling
If I were to write that article, I am sure I would be tempted to be less indifferent than its present author. However, I am not sure how much of a piece of my own mind would be appropriate, since the report is just supposed to describe the incident as the sequence of events that constituted it
Having said that, I *do* hope that the extreme irrationality (not to mention questionable legality) of the event is taken up separately by the media.
I hope the New Years’ events fare better. Fingers crossed.
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January 16th, 2009 - 12:01 pm
Dude, It’s all about money trust me when I say this, because I have personally dealt with it all, it is just plain and simple Extortion. You ask a person\company for donation ( from 20,000-2lakhs ). If they refuse , you tell them you’ll storm the place with the media give them bad pr, make them loose 5 times the business, so it makes more sense to pay.
If they don’t do that, they would attack you which is what has happened at Athena last year, and at Fuga this year. It’s the same people, a local extortionists with 4 cases of extortion pending against him in court, with the so called kannada organization.
After the Fuga attack they scared a couple of more places, that the same thing would happen to them if they don’t donate money, and trust me they made a killing before new years , since everyone was scared that they might ruin there business.
Ok, So what will happen if you or me goes to the cops about this ?? A Big Fat Cop will tell you don’t worry, take your complaint , call him , even arrest him for a day. Then you’ve made some pretty politically well connected enemies. The case would go on for 20 years.
You take Bangalore newspapers, you read about being getting hacked to death every other day by gangs carrying swords, they are not scared of the cops man, which is why no one goes through the hassle of going to the cops. Which further breeds this menace in society.
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April 19th, 2009 - 3:23 pm
The best way to deal with these goons is to form an organized gang just to kick these peoples arses. I am sure if all the pub owners come together they can easily make an example out of these people.If they dont give u what u want then u must know how to take it.
Its time to kick arses
Hail Anti-establishment
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April 28th, 2009 - 2:55 pm
Hi thanks for this nice blog. I am sharing this with all my mates on facebook.com
Thank you..
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