Pune Speak Up: Will the Cinderella deadline of 11:30 p.m. stand?

Police have no proof that nightlife increases crime rate
Our association has always been voicing that the city nightlife should be extended from the present 11:30 pm deadline to at least 1:30 am for the restaurants, hotels, pubs and other eating joints which have legal permits to do business. Pune has grown as a metropolitan city and an IT hub, with younger generation working till late in the night. These people need some place to eat, drink and relieve their stress. The police cannot give the reason of German Bakery and Jungli Maharaj Road bomb blast cases to shut the city at 11:30 pm. Statistically, they have no proof that extended nightlife increases the crime rate. These blasts happened during the day time and most of the crimes like chain snatchings are happening during daytime. I feel the police are giving wrong reasons to fix the midnight deadline. Why should Pune have the 11:30 pm deadline, when places like Satara, Nagpur, Vashi, Thane and Mumbai enjoy the 1:30 am deadline. We have to understand that Pune is now an IT commercial hub, where people are working till late hours and need a nightlife. The recent hookah party raid was at an illegally run place. We want the police to shut these places and not allow them to run. The owners and managers of such illegal joints are at fault and not the customers, who are unnecessarily rounded up and paraded in the public. 
—Ganesh Shetty, Pune Restaurant & Hoteliers’ Association

Partying is bad for the future of our younger generation
Today’s party circuit scene in the city is taking a wrong turn, wherein youngsters are becoming alcoholics and need to be taken to rehabilitation centres. Earlier, people would party in a more sane manner, but today it is all a mad scene and bad for the future of the younger generation. The police are doing the right thing in raiding such places and stopping such illegal partying scenes. The kids who go partying to such places don’t know what partying truly is, it is not all about alcohol and drugs. In the name of partying, they are getting into wrong habits and returning home around 5/6 in the morning. They are just wasting their parents’ hard-earned money. 
—Ashfaq Khan, parent

People still don’t know how to party in a responsible manner
As the city grows and matures, its people should be given the chance to party and enjoy an extended nightlife. They should be allowed to eat and drink at official restaurants and hotels only. As India is at par on the global map, the citizens should be given a responsible role. One thing should be clear that the party-going 20 plus youngsters are not rapists or criminals. However, youngsters should know that freedom comes with responsibility. No police will say that the city should be allowed an extended nightlife and there claim that it leads to rise in crimes and accidents is not backed by any statistics or study. However, nightlife in the country is in its infancy and people still don’t know how to party in a responsible manner. Partygoers, especially the youngsters should realise that the more responsible they will be while partying, the more freedom they will get. 
—DJ Cawas

For starters, there should be extended deadlines for weekends
I see no valid reason to have a curfew time for nightlife and its apparent “correlation” to keeping a check on crimes. Running an events management company, I usually end up wrapping up my work late and by the time I reach any place, it is already shutting. So it’s really frustrating after a day’s long work when people really want to unwind, they can’t think of any place due to this irrelevant deadline. It has never made any sense to me. I feel for starters, at least have extended deadlines for weekends. The law is only a mirror that reflects the will of society. Maybe it’s time people come together and do something about it. 
—Farhan Lambe, founder, Eventitects 

If Gulf countries can have nightlife till 2 am why not India? 
The time limit should be extended because youngsters should be able to enjoy as much as they can. If Gulf countries like Oman can have nightlife till 2 am then why a secular country like India should restrict people from enjoying.
—Shamik Rao, sound engineer at High Spirits

People should’ve freedom to enjoy without feeling like criminals
Every city in India is suffering from the same issue. People both young and old alike need to have the freedom to enjoy the nightlife in their city, without feeling like criminals. The government and police need to wake up and realise that with or without permission the nightlife will go on -- unlicensed and uncontrolled. These early closing laws are absurd and only show how disconnected India is with the modern world at large. What is it going to take for the elders of India to just drop their fears, their judgments and their religious morals, and trust the young people to enjoy their nightlife sensibly?
—Ma Faiza, electronica DJ & artist 

Someone who is unruly can be so even during daytime
The 11:30 pm is too early to be marked as a deadline. As far as discipline is concerned, I think it has nothing to do with the late hours or extended timings. Someone who is unruly can be so even in broad daylight. So night deadlines do not make any sense to me. Minds need to broaden. With the kind of workshifts that the present generation has, they have limited hours to even unwind and the 11.30pm deadline makes it worse. How will they unwind or relax or socialise? It’s just unfair.
—Cynthia Furtado, Musician

Let’s shed our old ways and welcome new needs of people 
Barring citizens from staying out late by shutting the nightlife early is an infringement on our fundamental rights. I believe that now society should come to realise that nightlife hubs are the safer option for the youth to be a part of instead of being in secluded corners of the city where safety is compromised. Why should anyone be allowed to set a timeframe for recreation for others. With the IT sector on the rise, people are already overworked. Let’s shed our old ways and welcome the new needs of our people. We are out of roles for Cinderella when so many of us are Charlie’s Angels. We are an education capital for the country.The youth needs its own recluse and the city should be sensitised to that. The 11:30 am is an unpractical shut down hour and should definitely be extended.
—Devangana Rashtrawar, Student

Youngsters want to have fun, meet friends and enjoy life
Youngsters as well as adults are so busy and stressed in the day that they need a break. Parties are exactly what they need where they can have fun, meet their friends and enjoy life. They already come late from work or colleges, and the time they get to party is also limited. If work timings are 8 hours and party time starts around 9 pm then the party duration should increase accordingly, specially in this kind of weather you cannot enjoy during the day. Therefore, there should be a long night to enjoy. 
—Montu Garg, freelancer anchor for parties and events