The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Support for protest against ban

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Monday, Aug 11, 2008
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Support for protest against ban

Staff Reporter

Bengaluru Bleeding plans signature campaign, community networks

— Photo: K. Murali Kumar

FOR RIGHTS: A group of musicians and artistes presenting a performance during a protest in Bangalore on Sunday.

Bangalore: In a week’s time, the group of people protesting against the ban on live bands has quadrupled, and at the M.G. Road Statue on Sunday in their allotted 45 minutes, they tried to do all they could to make their point.

What started out as a small protest last week — first at the statue and then Cubbon Park — found the much-needed impetus on Facebook, the social networking site, when the “The Big Bangalore Protest Unit” managed to rope in nearly 2,000 members.

Art and tradition

“Today, we are expecting about 200 people. We want to continue protesting, but in different ways,” said theatre person Deepti Sudhindra. Present at the demonstration was playwright Girish Karnad, lending his support to the cause.

Talking about the ban on dancing in nightclubs, he said that “natyam” — any performing art — was “part of our tradition” and if there was a problem with drinking, then alcohol should be prohibited and not dancing.

The centre of the protest was a group of musicians, with guitars, tambourines, a mouth organ and drums, singing songs as people held banners for the campaign and tapped their feet.

The weather that threatened to dampen the protest turned around, and had people whipping out their sunglasses.

Motley group

Boby Mathew, a kalari performer, began dancing to the beat of the music being played as more people gathered at the venue.

Musicians, models, event managers, restaurant owners, photographers, students and supporters kept trickling in as curious onlookers and the police surrounded them.

The venue was splashed with stickers, banners and posters from the signature campaign, which is now officially titled Bengaluru Bleeding. Individuals who make a living from live events also supported the group.

Ilangovan, who works for AV Tec, a firm that supplies sound and light, said: “It affects our industry. With the ban there will be less remuneration, and we will not be able to bring the latest technology in this area to India.”

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