New Delhi: It’s poll season in Haryana, and practitioners of the state’s popular akhara culture are minting some serious cash by playing “bouncers” to politicians at the scores of election rallies being held in the state.
Thanks to its tradition of nurturing bodybuilders or “pahalwans”, reared on the state’s famed “doodh-dahi ka khana” and adept at humbling opponents in physical fights, Haryana churns out thousands of the bouncers now seen at bars, hospitals and fashion shows in Delhi-NCR.
Come election time, these bodybuilders are engaged by politicians for as much as Rs 3,500/day for crowd management at political rallies as well as to put up a show of strength.
“We have to manage the crowd and ensure the safety of the candidate,” Faridabad native Sumit, who goes by the name ‘Sumit Bouncer’, told ThePrint.
“We usually get Rs 1,000-1,500/day at pubs, but for rallies it is Rs 1,500-3,500,” he added.
“Bouncers who get directly employed through a gym get Rs 1,500 to 3,500 per day,” said Pawan Kumar, a Faridabad-based gym owner. “The amount depends on physique and reputation. But bouncers hired through an agency get paid less, Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,500, with food.”
Mohit, 27, who comes from a family of farmers based on the outskirts of Gurugram, said he joined the profession five years ago.
“I was mesmerised by the club culture of the city,” he added. “But my parents wouldn’t allow me to [visit them]. So, I became a bouncer.”
According to Mohit, who also serves at rallies, handling a political crowd is different from dealing with pub patrons. “I prefer pubs,” he said.
Another bouncer from Faridabad said election gigs had helped him build contacts with powerful people. “Politics has its own charm. It gives you links to powerful people,” he added. “We help them and they help us in return.”
Gym owner Kumar, however, said not “every bodybuilder you see in gyms and akharas are paid bouncers”.
“Some of them have a good rapport with local politicians. Whenever the politician calls them, they help him,” he added.
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Police ‘keep an eye’
A BJP insider said the party didn’t “endorse this culture” of hiring bouncers for election rallies.
“But Independent candidates and other parties do hire bouncers. It is simply to show your strength and crowd management.”
A Congress worker tasked with hiring bouncers said most paid hires came from “villages near Faridabad and Gurugram”.
“Although almost every candidate hires 10-12 bouncers, the craze for musclemen is more evident in Faridabad and Gurugram constituencies,” the worker added. “The hiring started two-three months ago.”
It’s an increasingly popular concept, but the use of bouncers has also been controversial amid reports of the men manhandling the crowd, although none of a grievous nature.
However, the bouncers approached by this reporter said they didn’t manhandle the crowd until asked to do so.
“We don’t hit anyone unless our employer asks us to,” Sumit said. “This situation doesn’t arise often, but [when it does] the employer takes care of the legal things.”
On 14 September, Gurugram police held a meeting with their UP and Delhi counterparts to keep a watch on akharas and gyms. At the meeting, Gurugram commissioner of police Muhammad Akil had said that bodybuilders and bouncers will be under the scanner.
Gurugram deputy commissioner of police Shashank Kumar Sawan said instances of bouncers manhandling rally crowds were rare, “but, still, we keep an eye on akharas and gyms in case something happens at election time”.
“There have been minor cases of bouncers manhandling the crowd. No big case has been registered since the last elections,” he added.
Few women
The job largely remains a male realm, with few women in the business.
Several agencies, gyms and local leaders approached by this reporter said the concept of female bouncers to manage women at an election rally wasn’t popular yet.
“Female bouncers are costlier than male bouncers,” a Faridabad-based agency for bouncer hires, named 24, added. “They are less likely to be hired for elections. Their numbers are already very low.”
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Pretty well written article about our ‘desi jawans’…. They follow the old school trend but it’s good that they are able to befit the modern age requirements and able to make decent amount of it with perks as well…
And, belonging to the same industry, seeing them being covered over here also feels good.
Good job Jyoti