Where's Night Life?

The summer season is just about to end, and soon we will see darkness descending on the city a bit earlier. So when the clock hits 5, it will start to be dark all around. By 6 most of us will be home—maybe watching TV, chatting or cooking, or many might be glued to their mobile phones.

 By 7 shutters start getting down in the city centers. By 9 it is as though the city is asleep. By 10 or so roads start wearing a deserted look. We talk a lot here in Nepal about what we call “western lifestyle”. We never tire of discussing the working pattern of Japan. And what actually we have is around 12 hours of shutdown—as though there is some sort of curfew.

Restaurants hang notice boards saying “no order after 9”. Public vehicles disappear after 7 and cabbies start heading towards the garage after 9. By 10 we all wrap ourselves in our warm quilts. What I am trying to say is Kathmandu, despite being the Capital city which everyone expects to be the most happening place in the country, seriously lacks “nightlife”. One of the reasons given why Kathmandu does not operate during the night is security and chances of crimes.

But was not a construction contractor shot dead in the heart of the Capital city in broad day light? Or was not a Supreme Court judge killed in the city in the morning? If crime is what is feared during the night, then it’s solely the failure of our security system. Yes, there is no denying that crimes usually take place more during night than daytime, but if the government authorities can put in place proper mechanism and fool-proof security system, it should security should not be a major concern for Kathmandu to remain open during the night.

Cities around the world offer wonderful nightlife and it is one of the major attractions for tourists. Extended hours of services— in transport to hospitality sectors—can generate more employment.

Yes everything has its downside. There are some who argue encouraging nightlife can bring social problems. They say there is also the danger of clubs, bars and pubs becoming hotbeds of binge drinking and drug abuse. That certainly needs to be checked. And we must also ask: is nightlife only about binge drinking? Nightlife can be a major contributor to the city’s economy and culture. But it seems to have been ignored here.

It’s time we started paying serious consideration to nightlife economy.

 Published in The Himalayan Times of 2018-9-7