Enthusiasts announce to fly kites despite ban

RAWALPINDI: The Rawalpindi Kite Flying Association (RKFA) has announced its plans to celebrate Basant, the traditional spring festival of kite flying, in Rawalpindi city and Cantt areas, despite a ban imposed by the government to prevent accidents and fatalities.

According to RKFA Vice-Chairman Iqbal and Joint Secretary Iqrar Mehmood, the kite flying festivities will begin in Rawalpindi Cantt on February 9 and in Rawalpindi city on February 16, coinciding with the Happy New Year celebrations. Basant night, a special event where white kites are flown after sunset, will be held in Rawalpindi Cantt on February 8 and in Rawalpindi city on February 16, lasting until 1 am, they said.

The RKFA officials said that they have made arrangements for 3.5 million kites and 1.5 million kite strings for the occasion, and that they will not cancel the festival even if it rains on Basant day, but will postpone it to the next Friday. They also said that they will prohibit air firing and use only drums for musical entertainment.

The government of Punjab has banned Basant since 2007, citing safety concerns and legal challenges. The ban has been widely opposed by the kite flying enthusiasts and the kite making industry, who claim that Basant is a cultural heritage and a source of livelihood for many people.

The decision, nonetheless unsurprising, has raised serious concerns about the safety of the public, especially motorcyclists and those traveling at night.

On the other hand, the sale of kites and strings is also touching new heights despite police raids and seizure of large quantities of banned kite-flying items.

Kite flying enthusiasts from Lahore, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Gujarat and Jhelum will also start arriving in Rawalpindi on Thursday, sources said.

Meanwhile, the sale of kites and strings on social media platforms has gained momentum due to the fear of police crackdowns. The kite sellers have also increased the prices of kites and strings by 50 to 70 per cent this year due to inflation.

A standard bundle of kite string is being sold at Rs2,200 to Rs4,000, while a smaller one at Rs1,000 to Rs1,800. Similarly, a normal-sized kite is priced at Rs100 to Rs150, a medium kite at Rs250, and a good quality kite is priced at Rs400 to Rs500.

Kites and strings are traded covertly only with acquaintances and on the recommendation of known ones.

Sources said the kites are brought to Rawalpindi from Peshawar, Abbottabad, Gujarat and Gujranwala.

According to them, kite-flying materials are brought early in the morning in trucks full of vegetables and fruits. Kites and strings from Murree, Islamabad and Haripur are also delivered to Rawalpindi city and Cantt early in the morning, they claimed.

The celebrations were banned by the Supreme Court of Pakistan in 2005, as 19 people, most of whom were children, were killed and hundreds were injured in the festivities, giving ‘the festival transformed into a dangerous activity’ as the reason. In 2007, the Punjab provincial government implemented this decision.

Kite seller arrested with 300 kites from Rawalpindi

The strings could cut the throats of motorcyclists or pedestrians.

Meanwhile, the district police claimed to have completed all arrangements to stop the activity at all costs. They said that the motorcycle-borne personnel of the Dolphin Force will patrol the city streets to net the violators.

According to sources, the police will register cases against kite flyers and their parents if involved in the banned activity.

They also said the police will also involve mosques to educate the public against the potential hazards of kite flying.

Sources also said a large number of police officials will be deployed to prevent Basant night.

Despite the arrests, registration of cases and lengthy awareness drives, the police seem completely helpless in stopping the kite-flying enthusiasts.

Every day after 11 o’clock, the skies of the garrison city get covered with kites of all sizes and shapes.