Mumbai Sunburn: Memorandum submitted against festival linked to drugs.
Mumbai – The ‘Sunburn’ festival, which had earlier earned notoriety in Goa for incidents of drug use and sales, is now scheduled to be held in Mumbai this December. In Goa, the festival had seen the tragic death of a young woman and the arrest of a drug peddler with narcotics in possession. Despite such serious incidents, permission has reportedly been granted for the event in Mumbai.
🚫 Anti-Narcotics Campaign activists gave a memorandum to the Mumbai Collector opposing the Sunburn Festival in December.
💊 The festival is infamous in Goa for drug peddling and deaths, yet it now seeks entry into Mumbai.
⚠️ Activists reminded of incidents like the 2009 death… pic.twitter.com/LuiLVBIbYO
— Sanatan Prabhat (@SanatanPrabhat) November 6, 2025
Condemning this move, the ‘Nasha Virodhi Sangharsh Abhiyan’ (A movement against addiction) has demanded that the permission granted for this festival be immediately withdrawn, describing it as a hub of drug abuse. A memorandum was submitted to Mumbai District Collector Achal Sood Goyal on 3rd November. Present at the time were Prof. Shripad Samant of Mithibai College, Dr. Lakshman Jathar of National College, Bandra, and activists Prabhakar Bhosale, Vinayak Shinde, Subhash Ahir, Vilas Nikam, Sagar Chopdar, Satish Sonar, and Mrs. Dhanshree Kelshikar.
The representatives of the Abhiyan also met Satyanarayan Chaudhary, Joint Commissioner of Police for Law and Order, Additional Commissioner Abhimanyu Deshmukh, and Mumbai Port Trust Estate Manager Shirsat. A similar memorandum was handed over to the Municipal Commissioner as well.
Why the opposition to ‘Sunburn’?
- In 2009, a 23-year-old woman, Neha Bahuguna, died during the Sunburn festival at Candolim Beach, Goa.
- In 2013, during the event at Vagator Beach, Goa, the Anti-Narcotics Cell arrested a drug peddler named Saurabh Agarwal with drugs in his possession; hundreds were found publicly smoking hookahs and chillums.
- In 2014, Mumbai-based fashion designer Isha Mantri died at the festival due to drug overdose.
- The organisers allegedly involve a large number of foreign nationals in the event, many of whom misuse their tourist visas for illegal business, escaping action from authorities.
Call for a permanent ban!
According to the Nashavirodhi Sangharsh Abhiyan, the Sunburn festival tarnishes Maharashtra’s cultural identity and encourages substance abuse among youth. They have demanded a permanent ban on such events and urged the police and anti-narcotics units to maintain strict vigilance on the organisers.
They asserted that the festival glamorises Western indulgence and drags young minds towards addiction; therefore it must never be allowed on Maharashtra’s sacred soil.
Editorial Perspective
Why does it take a memorandum against culturally harmful festivals like ‘Sunburn’, which mislead the youth, to draw the attention of the authorities? The administration should be proactive in safeguarding the interests of the nation’s youth.
The Nashavirodhi Sangharsh Abhiyan deserves special appreciation for taking a firm stand against acts that weaken the nation’s cultural and social health!
