About 75,000 women work in the bars, along with another 75,000 waiters,
bouncers, cooks and cleaners. Morals groups back the government, although the
bars are far tamer than nightspots in most other Asian countries.
The women wear relatively modest saris, which stay on as they dance to
Bollywood hits and customers shower them with cash. The men are not allowed to
touch the dancers.
Thousands of dancers and other bar workers took to the streets against the ban,
saying they could not find other jobs.
Bar workers groups say the women, most supporting families and with no jobs
skills and little or no education, would be forced into prostitution if the
bars close.
The dancers have also launched a court challenge.
Krishna, a former Congress chief minister, returned the ban legislation for
debate by the state assembly in the monsoon session of parliament, which begins
on July 11.
Bar owners association spokesman Manjit Singh welcomed the reprieve and said he
hoped parliament let the bars stay open.
The controversy has led to differences between the Congress and its smaller
coalition partner, which wants to close the bars, the Nationalist Congress.
Reuters
