Women's Peaceful Protest Prompts Closure of Bar in Nashik's Pathardi Phata Area

Residents of Shivlik Sigma Apartments in Gulmohar Nagar, Pathardi Phata, took a stand against the presence of Angel Bar, which opened its doors in June 2023 in the basement shops of the building. With approximately 4,000 residents in this area, opposition to the bar was strong from the outset. Despite an initial closure due to residents' protests in June 2023, the bar recently reopened, citing permissions from the Mantralaya, although local authorities had previously denied such permits.

Residents, frustrated by the bar's persistence and its impact on their neighborhood, repeatedly requested its closure to no avail. Taking matters into their own hands, local women, led by Shruti Naik of Shivsena Mahanagar Sanghatak, organized a peaceful protest. Vandana Birari, Devanad Birari Dwarka Gosavi, Lata Kamod, Oragati Sonar, Sandhya Dhumal, Jayshree Shinde, Bhagyashree Jadhav, Sujata Chavan, Kalyani Vise, Shweta Patil, Seema Davkhar, Hiral Patil, and Sarbjeet Kaur joined in front of the bar.

With chants of Ganesh Aarti and Durga Aarti, the women urged patrons to refrain from purchasing alcohol, emphasizing the detrimental effect on the neighborhood's atmosphere. Expressing their discontent over the bar's presence, they resorted to Gandhigiri tactics to peacefully push for its closure.Their efforts bore fruit as the owner, lacking local authority permits, voluntarily shuttered the bar. Shruti Naik stated, "The owner lacks the necessary permissions to operate the bar. It was shut down last year due to resident protests. The fact that it reopened raises questions. We chose peaceful protest, and it worked. The bar's closure is crucial to maintaining peace in our neighborhood, especially considering the nearby slum area where children were accessing alcohol."The women assert their readiness to continue protesting if the bar attempts to reopen in the future.