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July 27, 2003 VNN8247  About the AuthorOther Stories by this Author
Threat To Religious Freedom In UK
BY MADAN MOHAN DASA
ENGLAND, Jul 27 (VNN) — Licensing Bill's Threat to Religious Freedom in U.K.
Imagine a scenario where congregational singing of the Lord's glories with musical accompaniment, in your own home or local place of worship, could land you and every musician present with a L20,000 (UK pound) fine or jail for six months. For the crime of not having bought a license allowing and approving that function, issued at the varying discretion of your local authorities.
Fact or Fiction? Surely such an outrageous violation of the basic human right to freely and peacefully practise the religion of our choice could only be a nightmarish piece of fiction? Something that could only possibly happen under a brutal, jackbooted regime in a totalitarian police state?
Action Needed Now Most disturbingly, this prospect could soon become a reality of daily life in the U.K. from 2003 onwards, under the government's proposed Licensing Bill, presently being pushed through parliament, if the people of this country don't unite and act now to defend everybody's cultural and religious freedoms, and what remains of our fast-diminishing range of civil liberties.
False Pretext
Superficially, the proposed bill, published 15 November 2002 as the "central plank in the government's drive to tackle antisocial behaviour", is based on four fundamental objectives:
1) the prevention of crime and disorder;
2) public safety;
3) the prevention of public nuisance and
4) the protection of children from harm.
In truth, this proposed legislation is the even more restrictive and punitive follow-up to the Criminal Justice Act and the Public Order Act, which have both already served to criminalise ancient folk traditions, alternative lifestyles and many activities formerly outside the iron grip of state control.
No More Free Parties
If the Licensing Bill becomes law, new powers then wielded by the state would seriously restrict and intrude upon the private and personal freedoms of every U.K. citizen to participate in and enjoy live music in our places of worship, community centres, village halls, schools and colleges, at private parties, wedding celebrations and even events held in our own homes and gardens.
Historical Precedent
Around 500 years ago in West Bengal, the presiding government declared sankirtan - the congregational chanting of the Lord's holy names - to be illegal. In response, Sri Chaitanya led an angry crowd of 100,000 people loudly chanting Hare Krishna with drums and cymbals to the palace of the Chand Kazi, where He protested the people's right to worship freely. By calm use of logic and argument, He convinced the Kazi of his improper use of power and from that day onward sankirtan was never again opposed or restricted.
A Clear Perspective
"In the present day also, people all over the world may join together in the Krishna consciousness movement and protest against the present degraded governments of the world's godless societies, which are based on all kinds of sinful activities. The Srimad-Bhagavatam states that in the age of Kali, thieves, rogues and fourth-class people who have neither education nor culture capture the seats of government to exploit the citizens...The only remedy for such conditions is to enhance the sankirtan movement under the banner of Krishna consciousness and protest against the sinful activities of all the world's governments...This is not a sentimental religion, but a movement for the reformation of all the anomalies of human society. If people take to it seriously, discharging this duty scientifically, as ordered by Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the world will see peace and prosperity instead of being confused and hopeless under useless governments."
(from Sri Caitanya-Caritamrta, Adi-lila Ch.17 v.141 purport, by Swami A.C.
Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada, who distributed the jewel-like teachings of India's most ancient, universal and foremost spiritual tradition worldwide between 1966 and 1977)
Golden Opportunities
What all this adds up to is a set of unprecedented opportunities for us to work together and serve all those saints who have ever taught pure loving service to the one God as the true purpose, the greatest happiness and the ultimate goal of human life.
If you would like to offer even a little of your time, energy and resources in any of the following services;
* Organizing home programs, local events, festivals & fund-raising
* Magazine design and production, writing articles, printing & distribution
* Website design & maintenance
* Producing art, music, leaflets, etc.,
please contact Madan Mohan das on mohanji@compuserve.com
And let's get busy!
Here's the original article from "Festival Eye" that brought the Licensing Bill to my attention. It contains vital information for anyone wanting to actively protest against the bill.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Under cover of the smokescreen called 'War on Saddam'...the UK Government has quietly been pushing through the Licensing Bill, which contains a greater threat to camps, festivals and any live music anywhere than the Public Order Act and the Criminal Justice Act combined...They may have got away with murder in Iraq, but you still have time to demand your right to party, though you must act soon!
(from Festival Eye editorial)
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Licensing Bill's Threat to Live Music in U.K.
Calling All Music Lovers!
You may have heard about the new Licensing Bill which is going through parliament this year, and could become law any time soon!
L20,000 (UK Pound) Fines
In short, it makes it compulsory for any venue where any live music is played to be licensed, even if the event is a private function. Some events which currently do not need a licence and run without problems could be 'priced out of the market' or plain refused permission to legally happen at all. The proposed penalty for not having a licence and playing live music is a fine up to L20,000 for each musician as well as the owner of the premises. Venues which will need a licence will include not only pubs and clubs, but private parties in your own home...though (gatherings centred around) television will be exempt. Its going to be all right for some!
We believe that it is already too difficult in many cases to arrange events because of local politics, and that something needs to be done to remove expense and bureaucracy from organisers' 'to do' lists. Up-and-coming musicians will face unnecessary hassles and restrictions if this bill becomes law. The mainstream media have focused on the section of the bill which will allow pubs to open for longer, largely ignoring the more nonsensical restrictions on musicians and people who want to hear live music. All live music events including festivals and camps will be affected if the Licensing Bill goes through.
Power Abuses
Festival Eye has already heard about many abuses of power by the authorities where 'policing' gatherings is concerned. We would like to hear about as many accounts of unwarranted hassle given to gig and festival organisers ranging from 'jobsworth' council officers' 'bloody-mindedness' to police-organised neo-protection rackets and frightening tactics used on landowners and magistrates. We have already had verbal accounts from people associated with 'The Severn Revels', Stonehenge Campaigners, Baddam (an event near Buxton scuppered at the 11th hour by a licence refusal, following assurances given by local police that they would not object), Carshalton Environmental Fair, Welsh Green Gathering and more...
What You Can Do
We believe that the camps, festivals and similar gatherings, etc., that many groups and individuals make a great effort to put on, make an important contribution to education, social cohesion and small trade in society and provide a much-needed platform for all genres of music and performance art. Please support this campaign for sensible licencing laws, even if you yourself haven't suffered from abuses of power under the current system.
Write To Your MP
1) Write to your MP and express your concern about the threat the Licensing Bill poses to all musicians and all live music performances. Ask everyone you know who cares or who may be affected by the proposed changes to lobby their MP too.
You can write to your MP:
The Right Honourable (your MP's name)
The House of Commons
London SW1A OAA
Alternatively, you can go to the following URL to fax your MP for free: http://wwwfaxyourmp.com/
To know who is your local MP: phone 020 7219 4272 or visit: www.locata.co.uk/commons/ or enter your postcode at: http://edm.ais.co.uk/weblink/html/motion.html/ref=331
Early Day Motion 331
2) Ask your MP to sign the following, Early Day Motion 331:
That this house expresses concern that the Licensing Bill proposals to make the performance of live music licensable in pubs and clubs, in places where alcohol is served, in churches, synagogues, mosques and other places of worship, in schools and colleges, in community centres and village and parish halls, and in private homes and gardens where private parties and weddings may be held, will have an enormously detrimental effect on musicians and live performances; fears that the raising of money for charities by musicians will be seriously compromised; considers it will seriously impinge on the folk community, including folk music and traditional folk activities such as morris dancing, wassailing, etc., believes that the penalties for breaking the law of a six-month jail sentence or 20,000 fine are far too draconian; considers it grossly unfair and inconsistent that live music will not be licensable in Scotland, but will be in England and Wales; regrets that the government has decided to replace the anomalous 'two in a bar' rule with a 'none in a bar rule' which will catch all live music performances; believes that the requirement for provision for entertainment facilities to become licensable - which will ensnare music shops, music and dance studios and teachers - represents a totally unacceptable regulatory intrusion into mainstream activities; and calls on the government to amend the relevant parts of the bill in order to remove the iniquities faced by musicians and the music industry as a whole.
Online Petition
3) Sign the following online petition at: http://www.petitiononline.com/
First-hand Accounts
4) Festival Eye is collecting first-hand accounts of the sort of unjust power-wielding mentioned earlier in this article. If you know of any such power abuses, please send us your account as soon as you can. We would like to present a dossier of 'licensing abuses' under the current sytem to MPs before the final vote in the House of Commons.
Time is short, and if we are to stop or seriously amend this bill, all musicians, gig organisers and live music lovers need to act before it is too late.
Further information about the proposed changes to the law concerning the Licensing Bill can be found at: http://www.efdss.org/licensing/
Andy Smith, Editor
Festival Eye
BCM 2002
London WC1N 3XX
editor@festivaleye.com
www.festivaleye.com
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