Taking a sympathetic view towards Maharashtra's bar dancers, the National Human Rights Commission on Thursday said culture cannot be a reason to ban dance bars.
In an exclusive interview to rediff.com, NHRC chairman Justice A S Anand said he would look into the issue, but cautioned that the dance bars should not promote vulgarity in the society.
Anand was speaking on the sidelines of the 61st session of the United Nations' Commission on Human Rights in Geneva.
Anand said: "As far as the culture is concerned, I don't think anybody has the right to impose any selfish code on conduct."
In the same vein, he added: "Nothing vulgar or obscene can be permitted because the general good of the public must be kept in mind."
The Maharashtra government announced it would withdraw permits of dance bars, saying they were corrupting the youth and threatening local culture. It said dance bars have been creating law and order problems.
Dance bars are situated all over Maharashtra, but are a lot of them are in its capital Mumbai. Women dressed in colourful clothes dance to Bollywood songs and serve drinks to clients in these bars. Young people below 18 years of age are not allowed inside the bars.
Driven by poverty, thousands of young women work in these bars to earn their livelihood. An estimated 75,000 women and 300,000 men work in dance bars across Maharashtra.
Threatened by the government's announcement, a delegation of bar dancers' association first downed their shutters for a day on April 1 and latter petitioned the NHRC on April 13 and National Commission for Women -- both based in New Delhi.
Anand refused to comment further because he had not seen the petition and also the official reasons behind the ban.
"I will have to see what reasons the government has given. I will look into it after returning to Delhi," he said.
