By Syed Zarir Hussain
IANS
Thimphu : Feel free to swing to the music at the chic discotheques in this usually conservative Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan. But caution please – don't try to take liberties, smoke a cigarette, or pop a dance pill for a kick.
Bhutan's new bouncers are on the prowl at the six discos in downtown Thimphu, the capital of the last Shangri-la of breathtaking beauty. Before anyone tries to be a little adventurous taking cover under the Double Derby lights in the dance floors, one could be caught on the wrong foot on a night out.
In all 24 bouncers – 16 men and eight girls – were trained by the Royal Bhutan Police (RBP) to maintain order at the discos with incidents of rowdies trying to freak out using party pills and carrying knives and brass knuckles being reported from some of the joints.
"The bouncers are asked to frisk people at the entrance itself for illegal and other contraband substances," Major Phub Gyeltshen, a senior police official, said of the strict door policies at the discos.
Four bouncers were deployed in each of the discos, including two women."We had incidents of people coming with tablets (synthetic drugs), knives, and even knuckle dusters and hence the new measures. We are not going to tolerate any kind of rowdiness in the name of fun," the no-nonsense police official said in a matter-of-fact manner.
Incidents of brawls after downing a few glasses in the discos have been on the rise.
"Very often you hear about fights taking place, properties at the discos being damaged – most of the incidents revolving around boyfriends and girlfriends," said Rinchen, a local businessman who uses just one name.
Rinchen is opening a disco here soon – undeterred by the brawls.
The bouncers' reasons vary between the good and the downright illegal, but if you know what you're facing, then you can at least prepare yourself – here's the guide to the worst and the best bouncers that the discos in Thimphu have to offer.
"Avoid smoking cigarettes (not even in the toilet), maintain decorum and obey the house rules, and for baby faced people, always carry an age proof like a driving license or your passport – if you violate these rules you could face expulsion from the disco or even land up paying a fine," warned Ugyen Dorji, a regular at one of the upmarket discos.
Smoking in public places in Bhutan has been banned since 2004 along with stringent punishment for all sales of tobacco products. The fine for breaking the rules is $225 and discotheque owners will lose their business licenses if found guilty of selling cigarettes or permitting people to smoke, an enormous penalty in an impoverished nation.
It's not all as dire as you might think – most of the bouncers, although tough built, aren't as terrifying as Jade Goody on a night out.
"The bouncers have been told to be friendly, approachable, speak politely and not use force at all," the police official said.
All the burly bouncers, who work as part timers and earn about $75 a month, would try to do is to keep the situation under control and inform the police control room in case things spiral out of control.
The new generation Bhutanese teenagers have, of late, developed a penchant for partying in the discos during the day. But the trend has been banned recently following complaints from parents and guardians.
"If they want to party during the day, they can have it at the youth centre and not at the discos," Major Gyeltshen said.
The discos are open three days a week from 9 p.m. till well into the break of dawn.