A Brute In Love Town

Coming from Goa to Delhi, it is hard to believe that we are in the same country.

I was invited to Prem Nagar last evening with the promise of a “decent smoke.” I had never visited this locality before. But I liked the name, which translates to Love Town, and so I went.

After a few big chillums indoors, the resultant “cottonmouth” demanded a beer, and my hosts arranged for a couple of cans of Foster’s lager.

We were rather cramped indoors, and the weather outside being pleasanter, it was decided that we sip our beers in the park.

We found a quiet corner and sat down. Near us were two fellows also sipping beer.

Prem Nagar is a poor locality although centrally located, and there were the usual ragpicker kids who wanted the empty cans. Smart kids.

But just then a burly cop entered the park. He went up to the other guys who were peacefully enjoying their beer just as we were – and started beating them up mercilessly.

We split.

Three points to note:

First – this would be unthinkable in Goa. Repeat: Unthinkable.

Second – where do people drink in Delhi if bars do not exist? In Delhi, The State has a monopoly on the retail trade of alcoholic beverages, but they expect you to carry your hooch indoors if you want to drink. This is tyranny. The licensing of bars must be totally liberalized. Note that there was a pakora wallah just outside the park where we were sitting. I was contemplating ordering some onion bhajjis. This man too, and the peanut vendor, would prosper if bars were delicensed.

Third – there was a perfect “natural order” in Prem Nagar. This order was disturbed by the brutal cop. I can understand police action against anyone who is drunk and disorderly. But brutalizing peaceful citizens?

I drove off with my cans of Foster’s lager – to a place I know where cops do not come. The rag pickers lost. The pakora wallah lost. I lost too.