Why restaurants should (not) be closed down

Dayanidhi Huidrom *

The dimly lit cabins inside a seedy restaurant :: Pix - Hueiyen Lanpao

Restaurant drama has been 'on' and 'off' for years and years. Why is this fuss? Do these so-called social organisations; DESAM, AMSU and volley of self-acting moral police, ever introspected what they did/ are doing? Before touching upon the crux of the matter, let's peruse a few fundamentals.

Sex is a natural urge; inclusive of holding hands to *&^%$#. Everyone agrees! Every society is bound by certain moral ethics and anyone who doesn't follow is deemed to be tagged as immoral or illegal. But the real question is how to tame this inherent urge.

One of my muslim friends told me the reason muslim girls/ boys are planned (if not forced) to marry early is because to avoid them from going astray. Brothel is always a booming business because there are perennially abundant men who need/ want to get released himself.

We all men and women marry each other because we want to be sexually and spiritually connected. These are the realities whether you accept or not. The bottom-line is that sex is an integral part of life.

Definition of restaurant seemingly looks clear, "an establishment where meals are served to cosumers". What is not clear is its nittty-gritty.
How much light?
Should there be windows?
How costumers should behave?
How to handle foods?
Sanitary practices? etc.

We need sensibly elaborate rules. Legislation should be made by lawmakers after consultation with experts and be passed by legislators. Should a loose press note by civil bodies be accepted? Never.

When no proper definition of restaurant exists, what rights these organisations have to inspect and act like a police? I certainly believe that they don't. They are acting like saints without knowing where they are stood. Even if laws are there, who are they?

Do they have the rights to vandalise restaurants which were constructed after toiling heat and dust? In places where lawlessness becomes law, everyone becomes law giver and law keeper. What they can do at best is to aware people what is good and wrong but not beyond that. Justice can't be delivered by mobs and crooks.

Let us assume that nasty things are going on in restaurants. Again, do they have the right to interfere in the privacy of people? They are absolutely not the moral or legal authority to poke inside the restaurants and malign the dignity of the couples dating inside for whatever reason. Intention may be right but the means is flawed.

I am posing another question: Should we ban condoms because they encourage people to enjoy without the risk of being pregnant? Condoms are distributing like hot bora by Anti-AIDS organisations (that too free of cost!) and undeniably promotes safer *&^%$#. To a layman these are two conflicting situations; at the one end you are given freebies and punishing you for using it at the other end.

I am not giving clean chit to restaurateur. Please read on further......

We should, however, worry that masking under the curtain of serving food, many of them are allowing boys and girls to exercise what they pleased irrespective of morality and ethics. Thus, raising a serious question of probity. Illusioned by the lust of money, they tend to forget what society is expected from them.

If they really want to serve 'costumers', why shouldn't they convert restaurants into 'pay and sex' restaurants? Brand new type of restaurants! If they don't know where they stand, is there any reason why they should not be closed?

Vandalism, mob justice or punishments through media are not the answers. Our young creative minds will find another solution to execute their inner feelings. It will only create another bigger problem.

The basic question remains with us is: how can we control our young people, particularly teenagers (who are more prone to), to obey the diktats of morality? Or (to put it mildly) how can we build a society that understands the sexuality and sex?

'Morality and sex' are two complex subjects which changes its colour from community to community. Our society needs to be moved from orthodoxy to more rational and practical ones. Laws are to be made in tune with time.