Safety first is creed for party security brigade

Safety first is creed for party security brigade

MUNISH DHIMAN  29th Dec 2012

Female bouncers from Solid Manpower team. | PHOTO: TS Bedi robust, hawk-eyed man donning black keeps a constant vigil on his assigned area. He can be seen standing absolutely serene and motionless until something goes wrong. He provides a muscular safety wall on behalf of whom he is working for. He is better known as Bouncer. Ruby Singh, a celebrity bouncer, owner of Ruby Securities, one of the leading security providers in Chandigarh says, "When I started my career, it was never considered as a profession; even my family was hesitant to tell people about my occupation. But gradually things started shaping up for the better. With burgeoning demands for security cover, there was an ever-increasing demand for bouncers. It indeed was the turning point of my life when a couple of young boys with shapely bodies joined me to provide security to Bollywood stars. Today, I have an army of more than 120 bouncers." Santosh K. Sreedhar, General Manager, Tao club explains, "Times have come to such a pass that we cannot think of arranging parties without ensuring a security cover. Bouncers are no nonsense guys. They are out there to provide a secure backdrop and ensure a smooth conduct of the party. They act only when there is any disruption created by miscreants present at the occasion" A lucrative job, with a bouncer getting paid between 500 and 2000 per event, the task is fraught with unforeseen dangers and dicey situations.  There is always the fear of a backlash. Several incidences of bouncers being bashed up by assailants in Chandigarh and elsewhere have come to light. Sometimes such occurrences are triggered by old rivalry. Surjit Singh, Director, Solid Manpower, who has a workforce of some 100-odd bouncers, says: "Our top job is more akin to that of a soldier guarding his motherland on the frontiers. We feel bad about the people misinterpreting our sacred profession as a profession for those with a good physique and an aggressive nature. We also have families and well understand our responsibilities towards the society. I can say with a certain amount of pride that our profession is one of commitment and is free from corruption or malice towards anyone." Though largely a male dominated profession till now, women have also started making it to the bouncer's brigade. About induction of female bouncers in the profession, Surjit adds, "It is indeed a challenging task to employ girls as bouncers, but they have proved their mettle in handling brash-bold girls who try to create a scene, especially in a drunken state." There are more than a dozen female bouncers who are currently working for various security providers in Chandigarh. Parminder Kaur, a nurse by profession, doesn't feel it awkward taking on a wrongdoer causing any disruption at the designated places of their employment. After being in the profession for over four years now, she says, "I have been able to provide employment to girls only because of this platform. Though the job is full of jeopardy, it makes us self-reliant and empowers us to tackle a given situation, besides acting as our own guard." "It is very hard to imagine a mad party with foot-tapping music, platters of lip smacking food, bars set ablaze with shots, going smoothly in the absence of bouncers. We can never even dream of such a party, given that there are all kinds of people around participating in the bash. We are here to provide entertainment, and putting security measures in place for guests is of prime importance", informs Gagandeep Singh, MD Black Magic retro bar and club. http://www.sunday-guardian.com/young-restless/safety-first-is-creed-for-party-security-brigade