Bangalore's midnight problem

"Early shutdown" has been  topic of intense debate over the last few years in Bangalore. You may know it as various names such as "The Cinderella law" or "There goes my midnight meal at Empire" or the slightly more activist-ey, yet grossly inaccurate "Democracy is dead".

So, what's the solution? to answer this, we need to agree on what the problem is. Is this a result of the right-wing BJP coming to power and glorifying it's anti-western-culture agenda? is it a measure taken in good taste by the then police commissioner to reduce night violence which was spiraling up in the city? is it (this is my favorite) an attempt to create a black market for liquor which will benefit a handful of goons?

Fortunately or unfortunately, my views are usually less cynical. It is hard to believe that this was a measure to shun the rights of the people. No one (including the Karnataka government and Bangalore police) benefits from a less profitable Bangalore. They have shot up to importance over the past two decades because  of the city's economic growth. So, while they may incompetent, they are not stupid. So, for the sake of argument, let's assume the plausible scenario where the measure to shutdown was indeed taken to reduce crime at night.

So, how about we shut the city down at 7? This will reduce crime even more! The fact is, our police force currently does not have the competence to protect the city at night. The Bangalore police talk about (and rightly so) about the meteoric rise in the cities population and how it is disproportionate with the rise in the cities police force. So does increasing the police force solve the problem? Not quite. The fact is our cops fight with lathis and a paunch whereas the goons have upgraded to cell phones and guns. So, the need of the hour is police reform. I would have happy with this answer, but then again Mr. Pai brings up an important point. Our police are expected to be crime solvers, Indian-culture protectors and clerical heroes. Apart from law and order, they also have responsibilities such as passport verification, ensuring "obscene posters" are not in public view etc. So yes, we need to rewrite laws. While we are at it, why not reform the judiciary and ensure cases are closed sooner in court. But wait, what about reforming the politicians? After all, they are the "most corrupt" no? So let's reform them too, which means electoral reform.

So, all we need to do to eat out at midnight is police reform, judicial reform and electoral reform. Which means we need to engage with BBMP, the state government, the central government, the supreme court and the election commission. Additionally, some of these reforms need to national. Which means we cannot just solve Bangalore's problem. We need to keep in mind other metros, villages, towns etc. Here is where I believe lies our biggest problem. Most of the suggestions in the public space involve an national agenda to solve a local problem. Why can't the solution be local? how do successful metros attempt to solve these issues?

Our political engagement is mostly at the state level or national level. It is good to have a nationalistic identity, but our politics needs to be local. While this needs a change is mindset of the voter, we also need a change in the power structure in the city. Currently a mayor is elected (not by popular vote) and has a term of one year. Any major political decisions still need to happen at the chief ministers desk. While a five year term for mayor elected by popular voter seems to be the logical solution, the fact is, that this will take away from the state government, their one show piece and biggest cash cow. Unfortunately, after the S.M. Krishna reelection debacle, no chief minister has had the courage to make his term Bangalore-centric. It is still widely believed that Mr. Krishna lost his bid because he was considered the chief minister of Bangalore. Chandra Babu Naidu also faced similar criticism in the neighboring state on Andhra Pradesh. On the contrary, a mayor elected by popular vote will have a political agenda to find local solutions. He/she will not need to shy away from talking about the cities problems. It will also provide us a means to design city specific solution using revenue generated by the city.

So, basically the city is stuck between a rock and a hard place. A state government which will not dare make Bangalore their central political agenda and at the same time will not dilute it's power by handing it over to a mayor with more teeth. This is where the role of civil society should come in. I hope prominent commentators and policy experts make the right noises about the need to create a powerful post for mayor. This to me, seems to be the best way to tackle local issues including (but not limited to) providing a gateway to my midnight Biriyani every time I visit my city.