"NOTHING AT ALL TO RAVE ABOUT"
Rave parties have become a norm for the youth today. The fact that our young ones are nonchalant about them, only goes to show how widespread drug abuse has become.
The Mumbai Police recently cracked down on some so-called rave parties. Ask a common man what he things of such parties and the answer would be — ‘it means the younger generation is taking drugs, drinking, and dancing the night away.’ The ordinary man perceives these dos as pastime of the rich and famous (read TV and Bollywood actors). So, I was shocked to know that such parties happen in Delhi too. What was more amazing for me was the fact that from the rich to the poor, all are a part of this party scene.
Ask a young person what he thinks of rave parties and he will shrug his shoulders and say nonchalantly: “To each his own.” Others want to know the reason for all the hullabaloo that surrounds such parties. Some try and protect their friends and justify people attending them. An unhappy life at home (parents are divorced) and peer pressure makes them want to escape from the reality of life even if it is for a few hours. It is remarkable that these teens take the entire thing so casually. When we were young our parents would ask us to grow up if we went to them with problems. For the youth today, rave parties are the answer, it seems.
I belong to Himachal Pradesh where the hippy culture was prevalent back then. Over the years, many foreigners have settled in this idyllic hill State legally or illegally. Marijuana, grass or cultivated cannabis are locally grown and easily available at cheap rates. The locals never objected to this because it is a boon for their economy and now a part of their livelihood. I know many hotels and guest houses in Himachal where this is a part of their service.
You hear stories of how the biggies in Mumbai and Delhi party hard as an essential part of business. It is called ‘client entertainment’. For many, it is a status symbol to be a part of the “hip crowd”. I remember how a model once told me that “smoking before a show gives me the much needed confidence while walking the ramp”. It makes her oblivious to everything around her, she said.
As for the lower strata, a cop told me that for the baniyan-clad thin bodies one spots under the many flyovers in the Capital, doing drugs is a way to escape from the harsh realities of life. Lying doped for a major part of the day keeps them out of trouble. They forget that they don’t have roti, kapda or makaan. It also means that they don’t have to worry about their children who roam the streets begging or taking to petty crime to feed themselves and their parents.
It is sad that India has become a transit route for drug trafficking. A huge population in the age group of 12 to 25 years has taken to drugs. The number of raids conducted by the police all over the country proves how widespread drug use has become.
A family friend lost her only son to addiction. The supply and demand needs to be rooted out. Every peddler, big or small, should be punished. The police needs to come down heavily on all those who are a part of the chain, including those who attend these rave parties.
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