LIE

 Bombay 1980.

Jhooth Bole Kauwa Kaate!!

Cawasji Jehangir was a fighter.

He was a man with a heart of gold and fought for the rights of the downtrodden.

Everyone lovingly called him Cawa Bawa.

He was furious at himself for not being able to help the devotees who had approached him.

He felt his hands were tied by the law.

An idea started forming in his mind.

He would have to play his cards right.

He would have to make some people tell some lies.

Well -- it was in the name of justice.

Picking up the handset he started dialling on the rotary wheel of the phone base.

As soon as he heard, ”Hello” he spoke into the mouthpiece.

”Govind, Cawa.”

”Meet me in 20 minutes at the usual place.”

He put on his dark glasses, put on a hat, donned a thick overcoat, walked out into the street and mingled in with the crowds

The setting sun provided a backdrop to this scene.

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Govind was Govind Kaka.

He was the chief trustee of the small Hanuman Mandir in the back lane of Kala Chowki.

Hundreds of disciples thronged the mandir in a day.

Years back it had a humble beginning, starting as an idol under a tree.

It had developed into a small temple with generous donations of many people. 

Now there was a small compound surrounding the tree and the structure housing the idol.

The compound was bordered by a solid brick wall all around. The main entrance with two iron-wrought gates was the entry point for the disciples. Over the years apart from the Hanuman idol many other Gods idols joined the collection. 

Puja was performed at various times of the Day culminating with an evening Maha Aarti.

Bells hung at the temple dome in front of the Garbhagriha. Generally, devotees ring the bell while entering the sanctum. It is said that by ringing the bell, the devotee informs the deity of his/her arrival.

Brass bells hanging in various points inside this compound helped devotees transmit their message to the almighty through the metallic-sounding gongs. 

Govind Kaka and the devotees were stressed about a recent issue.

Madhushala has been inaugurated. 

The issue was the opening of this dance bar and the selling of alcohol in the vicinity of the temple.

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The lehenga-choli clad dancers remained significantly clothed throughout the performance showing at most some midriff, part of the back, and bear arms but the erotic aspect of bar dancing was mostly achieved through suggestion.

The bar dances were often compared to mujras, wherein women would dance to live classical Indian music, traditionally performed by tawaif (courtesans) during the Mughal era. 

From starting of the first dance bar in Khalapur in Raigad in early 1980’s they were slowly setting shop and mushrooming in Bombay 

Bar girls danced to Bollywood and Indipop numbers on a colourfully lit dance floor, in the central focus of a dance bar's seating arrangement.

The Bar girls were showered with currency notes, which generally resulted in more animated dancing.

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Madhushala had all of this and more. 

Patrons sat in chairs lined up against the walls of the room. The dancing was minimalist kind. Most of the time, bar girls swayed to the loud music amid the service of food and alcohol.

Business here was booming and the wrong type of crowds were being attracted.

The temple devotees were offended and frustrated. That's when Govind Kaka had approached Cawa Bawa his childhood friend for a solution. 

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Trilok Singh owned Madhushala.

Having acquired the land cheaply he had built it and spent lavishly making it opulent.

The premise was situated 58.5 metres from the temple. He had bribed his way to get around some technicality.

 No liquor shop should be established in municipal corporations and municipalities within a distance of 50 metres from an existing place of worship or educational institutions and that a minimum distance of 100 metres should be maintained between such places in all other local bodies.

A big lie would have to be stated.

He changed his building plans and moved the entrance to show that it was now 120 metres from the temple gate.

Based on this and by bribing the corrupt officials they managed to get the licences required. It was contended that the Bar was located at about 120 metres from the main gate of the temple to the main gate of the Dance Bar. All was legalised.

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Cawa Bawa met Govind Kaka in an Irani restaurant. Over cutting chai he explained his plan.

Govind Kaka would need to take about 20 disciples and volunteers and do the job this night itself. It would have to be done in secrecy.

Govind Kaka assured him that it could be done.

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The next morning Cawa Bawa along with Govind Kaka and some disciples went to Judge Anwar Ali who had a reputation of being honest and fair.

They explained that the bar Madhushala was in contravention of the law with regards to its proximity to a place of worship.

They asked him to accompany them to the site.

The Judge called for the local inspector to accompany him to Madhushala.

Trilok Singh was called for and asked to show records of the licence and plans.

His staff stated that it was about 120 metres from the main gate of the temple to the main gate of the Dance Bar.

The whole Team now started walking towards the temple. Trilok Singh was taking them towards the normal temple gate.

Govind Kaka mentioned that there was another gate in the compound wall. He took them to the other end of the compound which was in closer proximity to the Bar.

Everyone looked shocked as no one present there was aware of it. Well used bells hung all around here as well.

Unknown to all, the volunteers and disciples had built the hole in the compound wall and built this gate overnight. They then left it in a state that did not have the appearance of being new. They then hung up the bells

There was a kaccha rasta (small road) from here. It looked worn out and well used. The volunteers had cleverly managed to create this also overnight. 

The Judge asked for measurements to be taken from this gate.

The officials went about measuring.

The Bar was now situated 58.5 metres from the temple compound wall.

This Dance Bar was in contravention of the law.

After the lie and coverup by the Bar owner were detected, Judge Ali went back to his office and referred to his books.

The judge pointed out that the Liquor Vending (In Shops and Bars) Rules, do not contain any provision stating that the distance should be measured only from the main gate and not the compound.

The Rules define the term ‘distance’ to mean the distance by the shortest pathway, lane, street or road generally used by the people. Therefore, it would lead to an incontrovertible conclusion that Bar/ liquor shops should be situated away from the entire campus of educational institutions and places of worship and not just from their main gates.

Madhushala had to shut down.

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The devotees had finally won and praised the Lord.

They were thankful to Cawasji Jehangir aka Cawa and his sharp thinking.

In and around the temple, along with discussions of the Hanuman Chalisa, there was one more topic and lesson being discussed and shared by the devotees.

It referred to the Parsi gentlemen Cawa!!

It was ---  Jhooth Bole Cawa Kaate!!

Credit for Image -- Internet.