Tuesday, May 3 2005 20:25 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Mumbai: Hundreds of dance bar girls today (May 3, 2005) staged a demonstration demanding an alternative source of livelihood following Maharashtra Government's decision to clamp a ban on dance bars.

"The Government should provide alternative employment if it is keen on banning dance bars," president of the Bar Girls Union Varsha Kale demanded during the demonstration at the Azad Maidan in south-Mumbai.

Stressing on a comprehensive rehabilitation package for the scores of bar girls, who would be rendered jobless owing to the decision, she said, "We want the proposed Government resolution (GR) to be postponed by three months till such a package is worked out."

"A National Commission for Women (NCW) team met the Union members yesterday when we demanded that the girls be provided alternative employment and their documents do not include the word 'bar girls' in their work experience," she said.

"Our demand states that these jobs should be permanent jobs which assures job security," Kale said.

The Union had received support from various NGOs across the country, including the city-based organisation Majlis, the Akhil Bhartiya Janwadi Mahila Sanghatana, she claimed and added, "Even Congress president Sonia Gandhi has given us a patient listening and was sympathetic to our cause."

"However, the Government has now made it a prestige issue and hence refusing to budge from its earlier stance," she said.

Raising objections to comments by those who had called for a ban on the grounds of morality, she said "we have information that Sangli police has arranged for an 'item girl' from Bollywood to perform at their police welfare function on May 14 to garner funds."

"How can those who dub it immoral to collect money by making girls dance, organise functions and garner funds by making a Bollywood actress dance. Why these double standards," Kale queried.

Her Union would stage a demonstration if the function is held as planned on May 14 at Sangli, she said.

Citing an example, Kale said in Nagpur some of the bar girls were asked to prove their credentials as dancers by performing for the police personnel.

"How can a constable who has no knowledge on dance ask them to perform. We met the Nagpur Police Commissioner and demanded to see if the artiste Shiamak Davar and his group - many of them minors - who had earlier performed at Nagpur, possessed such similar professional certificates. The police have failed to furnish us such certificates," Kale said.

Speaking on the occasion, leading advocate Flavia Agnes heading NGO Majlis, alleged that the Government is adopting a discriminatory stand when it called for a ban on small dancing bars but did not strive to put a stop on discotheques where too dance performances are held.

"How is that it is moral for politicians, rich businessman to watch dances in pubs and five star hotels but immoral for a poorer man to watch girls dance in a small bar," she queried.