Renowned dancer Deepani Silva too had expressed her views in this regard.
“As far as I am aware of, there were no laws that prevented women
from consuming or purchasing alcohol. Preventing women from consuming alcohol, selling alcohol and purchasing alcohol from liquor shops are restrictions put on ourselves. However, if such a law existed, this is an utter joke.
Women who want to consume alcohol on various social levels, do so. The elite women consume alcohol in big hotels while the poor folk who engage in hard labour consume alcohol either at local taverns or liquor spots. This has been happening in a usual manner.
‘Wonder if this is an attempt to rouse the people’
All this time no one spoke against it. The Finance Minister too knew this when he issued the gazette notification to lift the ban. Therefore one wonders if this is just another method of trying to stir up society with regard to women consuming alcohol.
I respect the Finance Minister and consider him a knowledgeable man on social issues. But before lifting such bans he must have been aware that there was such a rule.
Our women did consume alcohol in the past, they still do and they will continue to do so even in the future. But by lifting this ban if anyone is of the view that women will start drinking and coming home drunk, then that is a wrong notion.
But, our women today have taken on the burden of their families and they are aware of their responsibilities. A responsible woman knows where she has to go and just because the laws and relaxed women who love and care for their families will not start drinking and coming home drunk, shirking their responsibility.
Just because they are allowed to drink if one thinks that society will be turned upside down, then they are very wrong.
This issue has now been politicised:
By now the monks have got worried about this issue, but there are much graver issues that these monks need to be focussing on. This issue has now been made political and everyone is trying to create a debate over this matter.
Even some women who are debating this issue on political platforms and shouting about it, do consume alcohol on their own social classes.
I feel that instead of these monks wasting their time over this petty issue, they should focus on the more grave social issues and just stick to preaching their doctrine.
We should not take sides here. However, it is pointless to bring up an issue that never existed by this relaxing of laws, it is a futile exercise to be wasting time debating this matter when there are so many other grave social issues that we need to focus on.”
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