• Public note need to practically balance economically beneficial aspects of a nightlife/night-time culture whilst keeping in line with unique Lankan value systems   

BY Sumudu Chamara   One reality that became a topic of discussion with the economic crisis is that Sri Lanka has been delaying many important steps that could have improved the country’s economic and social situation and that this crisis may perhaps be a second chance to look into those. One such step that came to attention recently, but has been mentioned several times during the past few years, is how beneficial a nightlife culture, or more specifically a nightlife culture-based economy, could uplift the country’s collapsed economy. This was raised by State Minister of Tourism Diana Gamage, who said that after around 10 p.m., there is very little entertainment and other activities people can participate in and that Sri Lanka should therefore pay attention to creating a nightlife culture-based economy with a focus on foreign currency. Her statements attracted both positive and negative responses, raising a question as to how ready Sri Lankans are to embrace a nightlife culture. The Morning spoke to several persons who expressed different opinions in this regard.   The nightlife culture in Sri Lanka   The majority of those who spoke with The Morning were of the opinion that even though a nightlife economy has a great potential to be beneficial to Sri Lanka’s economy, the country should take the necessary steps to implement the aforementioned proposal very carefully so as to not harm what they called the country’s unique values. The authorities have a responsibility to ensure it, according to them.  “What people want now is different to what they wanted before. I think that the nightlife culture we are talking about is also a result of that change,” said 62-year-old retired electrician K.E.A. Abaya Yasalal. He reminisced that around 40 years ago, all that the majority of the people wanted to do after dark was to return to their homes and rest, and that it was mostly certain groups of people, especially travellers and affluent people based in main towns and cities such as Colombo, Kandy, and Galle, who enjoyed engaging in various activities at night.  He added that back then, a nightlife culture was something sought mostly by foreigners rather than Sri Lankans, and that even today, that situation has not changed. Even though that culture seems to have developed gradually, he opined that night-time activities have not developed enough to become a culture. Yasalal explained: “Back then, people did not travel at night unless it was necessary, did not eat outside food unless they could not prepare their own food, and prioritised spending time with their families at night. At the same time, public places like parks and beaches became sort of prohibited areas after night, to protect the so-called culture. That is why Sri Lanka does not have a nightlife culture. What we have is elements of a nightlife culture such as food stalls and nightclubs that have spread throughout the island.”  In addition, Yasalal added that there are cultural, religious, ethnic, and tradition-related concerns surrounding the nightlife culture and that that too is a major factor that has prevented a nightlife economy from developing in the country.  “I saw how people reacted to Gamage’s proposals regarding creating a night economy. Many people, surprisingly even young people who we expect to have modern and liberal ideas, were against it. Most of them seemed to think that a nightlife culture is a culture of prostitution, crime, drugs and liquor, and loitering on roads. Those may be elements of nightlife cultures in foreign countries, but it is not like they are not happening in broad daylight in Sri Lanka now.  “I think that we as a nation are excessively immersed in traditional values to the point where we let them stop us from developing. Whenever something innovative is proposed, the first thing people start discussing is how it may affect religions, cultures, and traditions, and unfortunately, they are very skilled in finding a link between innovative proposals and cultural and religious decline.” Due to this situation, Yasalal said, prior to creating a nightlife economy in Sri Lanka, it is crucial to educate the people that a nightlife economy could be created in a way that does not affect the country’s traditional values.  “I thought that these absurd nationalistic ideas would come to an end with my generation, but it seems like the young generation is ready to continue that. This is a very unfortunate situation for the country’s future. We would be going back, not forward,” he added.   Local values vs. nightlife culture    Meanwhile, several persons representing the young generation that Yasalal mentioned also shared the same opinions. While they acknowledged that attitudinal changes are necessary to create a nightlife culture-based economy, it is also crucial to ensure that this nightlife culture does not deviate from the country’s values to an unmanageable extent. Twenty-seven-year-old private sector worker Yohan Kovindu explained these sentiments, adding that there are two ways of building a nightlife culture in Sri Lanka, which he referred to as the “ideal way” and the “practical way”.  “Ideally, a nightlife culture should offer a great deal of freedom, and opportunities to get new experiences. If a person wants to have Sri Lankan food till the next morning, they should have enough food options and places to do it. If a person wants to party till the morning, they should have a place to do so. If a person wants to consume alcohol, they should have a chance without time constraints. As long as people do not break the law, there should be freedom. That is what I think would actually make Sri Lanka known as a country with a nightlife culture like Thailand’s Bangkok which is also a Buddhist nation, and that is what I personally would like to see happening.  “However, in reality, that is not possible, because we have many Sri Lankans who are trying to force their opinions and beliefs on others in the name of culture and religion, and they are too strong. Their power, although misguided, has a big impact on decision-makers who ultimately decide on what sort of nightlife culture Sri Lanka should have. Therefore, we have to choose the practical way of doing it. At least at the start, we have to choose a somewhat moderate path as far as what a Sri Lankan nightlife culture should offer people, especially tourists. We cannot create an international-level nightlife culture right away, because of the groups that I mentioned.  “We have to first make sure that our nightlife culture offers things which are accepted in Sri Lankan society and then evolve gradually. It is important that we evolve until we become an intentional level nightlife destination because what we build first, i.e. a nightlife culture that offers only what is accepted by society, does not have the potential to help the country get the full benefit of creating such a culture.” Meanwhile, 36-year-old writer Sarah Imeshani also expressed similar opinions about the need for a nightlife culture, but with more emphasis on the country’s economic situation. She stressed that it is time for Sri Lankans to stop dwelling on outdated sentiments which are questionable due to many reasons, and focus instead on saving the collapsing economy.  “Many say that nightlife cultures are bad for Sri Lanka’s religious, cultural, and traditional values. My first question is if those values can be destroyed by a foreigner who consumes a little bit more alcohol or gets the services of a sex worker during their weeks or days-long stay, should we not question how strong our values are? In addition, we should stop the hypocrisy of opposing a Sri Lankan nightlife culture claiming that it destroys our culture, while we have allowed it to happen in a plethora of other ways in our homes, villages, and workplaces. There are far bigger threats to the country’s culture than a nightlife culture.” Imeshani added that taking into account the above-mentioned concerns, Sri Lanka should focus on identifying and addressing the real threats to the country’s values and support a Sri Lankan nightlife culture in a bid to help the economy.  “The economy is collapsing further by the day. Although the Government seems to be trying to save the rest of the economy, more assistance is necessary. Given the country’s situation, I think that activities that can help the country earn US dollars, such as tourism, should be a priority. In this context, taking into account the serious situation that the country is going through, I think that the people should identify what their true priorities are at the moment which is to support the creation of a nightlife culture unique to Sri Lanka so that it will help the country’s economy in some way. At a time when the country remains in fear of a possible food crisis, it is US dollars that can save us, not prayers or outdated values.”   Risks and changes   During these interviews, some opined that it is foolish to permit or support the creation of nightlife culture in Sri Lanka and that it may lead to a number of social issues. In this regard, 42-year-old construction sector businessman R. Ranaweera (name changed on request), said that the potential harms of such a culture may outweigh the potential benefits. He opined that although it is true that Sri Lanka needs money and that the said proposal is a good way to make foreign currency, if Sri Lankans have to spend more money to deal with the damage that a nightlife culture would cause, there would be no point in the efforts to implement such a proposal.  He pointed out a number of issues that he said are likely to be triggered by a nightlife culture: “Those who support this idea talk about keeping bars or liquor stores open past the usual closing time, and alcohol plays a big part in nightlife cultures. Sri Lanka is already spending a lot of money to treat people who get sick due to the consumption of alcohol. Therefore, this increased use of alcohol that comes with a nightlife culture is a risk for a country that has a health sector that is in a dire state.  “What is more, prostitution is an inevitable part of nightlife culture. I am not against prostitution. However, it is illegal in Sri Lanka, and sex workers do not have proper legal protection, which, in nightlife culture, may put their safety as well as the safety of those getting services from them at risk. When I say risks, health concerns are the least of my concerns. There are a large number of issues, such as human trafficking, the drug trade, rape, and theft, that are associated with prostitution when it is illegal and unregulated. These issues exist at various levels, but the expansion of prostitution with a nightlife culture would exacerbate them. In addition, foreigners seek drugs, and such a culture will expand the existing drug trade to cater to the foreigners’ drugs needs.” Ranaweera added that if the nightlife culture that the country is discussing is open only to foreigners, then, it would be possible to think that at least Sri Lankans are safe from that damage. Adding that that is not the case, he expressed concerns that the authorities cannot limit Sri Lankans’ freedom to participate in these night-time activities, and that therefore, Sri Lankans are also at risk.  “We talk about nightlife cultures after visiting Bangkok or Dubai for a few nights. We see only the beautiful, colourful side of it. Those who live in those countries see the ugly side of nightlife cultures, about which we have absolutely no idea. Also, it will take years to establish a proper nightlife culture in Sri Lanka and more time to make it a tourist destination. We also need a lot of legal reforms because we lack laws to allow such a culture, and social reforms because most Sri Lankans are familiar with night kades (restaurants that remain open till late night) and not nightlife cultures.” He opined that while he is not against considering the said proposal as a potential foreign currency-earning business, however, there are a lot of preparations that need to be done and a lot of risks and social changes that the country needs to be ready to face. Moreover, a number of persons that spoke about this matter observed that this is a time when the country should prioritise rebuilding the economy over every other concern.