Truth vs Hype - The Dhoble effect
If the headlines of the past few weeks are to be believed, the nightlife of India's most cosmopolitan city has been killed by a mid level police officer. For those who missed it, a series of raids were carried out by ACP Laxman Dhoble, on the city's clubs, bars and restaurants which he claimed were guilty of legal and moral violations. But now that the furore has started to level out, more fundamental questions have surfaced - what triggered the police crusade? Is this about a rogue officer, or a set of archaic laws that govern the nightlife in big cities? Why are these laws still in place - for reasons of public morality, or to allow for political discretion and police corruption?
