The impending Sunburn festival is being eagerly looked forward to by Electronic Dance Music fans in India and abroad but the communication emanating from various sources in the government are at variance with each other. Previously there was a controversy about whether the festival will be extended to 31st December, the organizers have been merrily selling tickets for events on the last day of the year making money hand over fist
(Now of course they say they shall refund the amount); ministers in the government have been issuing conflicting statements about the dates. Also the state government has given an undertaking to the High Court of Bombay at Goa that music won’t be allowed to be played beyond 10 pm as per extant rules but environment minister Aleixo Sequeira says that the government will ensure that at 12 AM music comes to a halt. The minister bolsters his contention by mentioning that relaxation of sound rules has been around for years. Why can’t the government speak in one voice via precise, clear communication ?? Later on Sequeira at a presser said that the GPSCB has yet to issue permissions for Sunburn. If no go ahead has come through how come the organizers have almost finished constructing the sound stages at the venue. The HC also ruled that the permission granted to hold the Sunburn festival in 2022 was illegal. The State should come down heavily on the unscrupulous festival organizers now that they have a clear judgement from the courts.
