From Discotheques to…?

From Discotheques to…?

It seems many of us are enthralled by Western culture, and the present generation is too keen to adopt it. Besides fashion, the younger generation also has the tendency to imitate the lifestyle of the youths of the west. Dancing or ‘rocking’ (as it is often referred as) is not only the most preferred pastime or leisure, but has become a way of life among the youth. To meet their demands, the ingenious entrepreneurs have established discotheques almost everywhere. Besides the entertainment part, these are also the places where persons with varied personalities get together. There are healthy young men and women who genuinely visit these places for entertainment, while there are also an equal number of unemployed and disgruntled youths who visit them to drown their sorrows. When alcohol and other abusive substances are so easily available, many of the consumers tend to be under the influence of these substances. Under such circumstances, a person’s mind loses judgment and confrontations happen at slightest of pretexts. People do not even hesitate to commit the most grievous crimes. In the recent times we have already heard of many such instances where crimes have been committed after or during such gatherings. We also hear that these discotheques are dangerous places! People are worried to venture out in the late evenings because certain youths are making the streets hostile.

I am in no way against ‘entertainment’. In fact healthy mixing of young people is desirable and dancing is definitely a healthy habit for the mind. However, the most worrying aspect is the consequences we have encountered recently in the form of spates of crimes. As per the Kuensel report, there were increased number of fights, assault and substance abuse cases occurring at night, and such cases mostly started from a discotheque or a bar. Juvenile delinquency is a serious issue and unless we focus our attention to such trivial thing as discotheque, where actually lies the ‘beginning of misbehaviour,’ we will not be able to contain it. In order to address this issue we have to look at it from different angles.

I am in no way an expert in the field of juvenile criminology but I am just attempting to think a little aloud so that all of us who are concerned about our young children’s behaviour can synchronize our thoughts together and do something useful. Here are some of my loud thoughts; let us make our children less hostile and more responsible citizens of our country.

The government’s recent order which has made it mandatory for all the discotheques to employ private security personnel or ‘bouncer’ and the requirement for the clients to identify themselves prior to entry into the discotheques is a very welcome move. I am sure this is going to be effective in curtailing some of the innate problems of youth targeted businesses

However, all of us as responsible citizens have different roles to play so that we can entertain ourselves safely! The youngsters should refrain from consuming any illegal substance and they should limit the use of alcohol. It is normal for young people to lose temper easily even at slightest of provocation but we should learn to control anger. They should always remember that discotheques are for enjoyment and not for antisocial activities. If they are irritated or extremely annoyed with someone and there is a possibility of that person attending the same party, it is best to stay at home. Many of us tend to be more courageous after consuming alcohol, therefore, we should always remind ourselves that we are after all social animals and not some sort of beasts! There are different ways of settling personal matters with people and discotheques should never be used for such purpose. Defaming these night clubs, which are established for your own entertainment, will eventually lead to their closure and you will be deprived of the pleasure which most desire.

Parents have the important responsibility to shape the future of their children. By turning a blind eye towards the long absences of their children from home will indirectly reinforce their behaviour. To deny any adverse reports about their ward from any quarter is equally detrimental. The youngster should be allowed certain privileges but rationing of time is very important. There is no harm in allowing the youngster to attend discos occasionally, but we should ensure that the youngster returns home safe and sound after these gatherings. Unless we do our duty as parents, there is no use ruing, crying and blaming someone else for their child’s misbehaviour if it results in a crime.

The discotheque owners should remember that theirs is solely entertainment business and not a place to promote illegal substances and promiscuity. They should have the responsibility to make healthy citizens but not junkies and criminals. They should respect the laws of the Kingdom and make necessary arrangements to counter antisocial activities in their places.

Our cities are small and comparatively less number of people lives here. Government can do more; constant policing by the regular police force should be carried out in and around these places. Opening and closing time should be strictly monitored. More strict laws on night activities should be put in place in order to curb all antisocial activities. Police patrolling should be more meticulous and anyone found loitering at odd hours should be apprehended and punished if needed. Our police force is able enough and we have seen its efficiency in carrying out the drive in promoting national dress code. If they do this job with equal jest, I am sure we will be able to live in the ‘Shangrila’ for many more years to come!