The Bhutanese Leading the way.
For a city with around 100,000 floating population Thimphu has one too many bars and discos, but aside from the health and social impact it is okay as long as any drinking and other activities are done within the premises.
The RBP comes around the anointed time to close down places, but an increasing law and order concern is on the trend to take these all night parties to public places like parks, parking areas or certain view points.
It is at these places far away from the eyes of the law that drinking and even drugs consumption happens along with a host of other illegal activities. It is also at these places the worst fights take place including stabbings by rival groups or individuals.
Sexual assault is also not out of the norm in these locations without proper lights and with no public around.
However, most of the times these never ending parties are a big nuisance to nearby residential buildings that have to bear with the loud music and also shouting and screaming sometimes right till before the sun rises.
In the morning these places are littered with alcohol bottles, condoms, cigarette stubs and other paraphernalia.
In certain instances even when complaints are made to the police and some youth are chased away they come back with a vengeance on other nights and openly make more racket, sometimes even openly challenging local residents to stop them.
At this rate one has to ask the question if law and order stops after dark in certain parts of the city and if Thimphu is headed down a slippery slope of youth gangs doing what they want under the cover of darkness.
The RBP should institute a zero tolerance policy for such behavior by actively identifying and aggressively patrolling such areas late in the night. Nuisance makes should be prosecuted and even jailed for bad behavior. The Thromde on its part should ensure that these places are well lighted.
The other option is to let Thimphu’s streets and such venues be taken over by youth gangs at night where bad habits, uncivil behavior and disrespect and lack of fear of the law reign supreme and only grow stronger.
He who does not prevent a crime when he can, encourages it.
Lucius Annaeus Seneca