Pune: Various organisations have demanded the cancellation of the Sun-burn Festival, which is to be held in Pune from December 29 to 31.
Amol Balwadkar, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) corporator of the Pune Municipal Corporation, who has filed a PIL against the music festival, said, “To play music and burst firecrackers is banned after certain hours during Hindu festivals like Dahi Handi and Diwali due to noise pollution. But western festivals and events like this which play loud music till 3 to 3.30 am are not asked to follow rules? Only common people are asked to follow rules of sound and decibel, and not festivals like Sunburn. Children aged over 15 years are allowed to attend the festival and how will they keep watch whether these kids are drinking alcohol or not?”
Right-wing organisations like the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti (HJS), Akhil Bharatiya Brahman Mahasangh (ABBM), and Ranragini Shakaha (RS) have demanded that the festival be cancelled as it promotes alcoholism and evades taxes as well.
Milind Dharmadhik-ari, HJS member, in a press conference said, “The festival is organised at Lavale where Symbiosis and Flame colleges have campuses. To organise the festival near college campuses is like motivating students to go for alcohol, obscenity and drugs. This festival demotes Indian culture and promotes western culture and hence, it should be cancelled.”
Meanwhile, Manoj Agarwal, CEO, Percept India Limited (organiser), said, “Since the matter is sub-judice, we cannot comment much. But all 19 permissions from concerned departments have been taken. Lakhs of rupees as taxes have been paid. How can a music festival be against any culture?”
