Up in the sky

Kite flying banned, enthusiasts indifferent

Islamabad: The Basant festival is one of the most celebrated festivals in Pakistan. Though Basant which is considered a Hindu festival, is celebrated by all religions, in all parts of Pakistan, especially in Punjab. The Basant Panchami Festival, also known as Basant, is held to mark the start of the spring season, it is, however, unclear when and how kite-flying became a part of the festival.

The actual date of Basant is the 5th of the lunar month of Magha, (it is the 11th month in the Hindu calendar) which normally falls in the last days of January or early February. In Pakistan however, people celebrate Basant on different dates in different cities throughout the month of February.

Different city kite-flying associations have set separate dates for Basant celebrations in their respective cities. The occasion will be celebrated in Lahore on February 4 and 5, while in Rawalpindi on February 16 and 17, according to Rawalpindi Kite-Flying Association, head Mohammad Iqbal, who spoke to Bol News.

The Punjab Government, as in previous years, has banned kite flying and the use of chemical and metal strings, which have resulted in the deaths of dozens of people, particularly children, in the past. “Kite-flying enthusiasts, on the other hand, will continue to defy government orders, and on Basant Day, the sky over Rawalpindi will be filled with colourful kites,” Mohammad Iqbal said.

This flouting of government orders is not limited to Rawalpindi; in other major cities of the province, including Lahore, Multan, Faisalabad, Sargodha, and others, kite-flyers will fully celebrate the festival in defiance of the ban.

“The authorities should impose a ban on the use of chemical and metal strings and ensure that their use is restricted rather than completely prohibiting people from celebrating this centuries-old festival,” Iqbal said, adding that not only the Rawalpindi Kite-Flying Association but also associations in other cities are willing to work with the authorities to restrict the use of banned chemical and metal strings for kite flying. It is worth noting that the sale and purchase of kites and strings are banned in Rawalpindi but are permitted in neighbouring Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) cities, where all of these products are available in the open market.

Haripur, in KP, is the nearest large market for kites and strings, with over a dozen shops selling kites and strings wholesale and retail. Waqar Ali, owner of Vicky Kite House on Circular Road in Haripur, said that the majority of his customers came from Rawalpindi because the locals have little interest in kite flying.

“We have also made arrangements to provide you with kites and strings at your location in Rawalpindi as well,” Waqar stated, adding that they provide kites and stings in bulk to their clients in Rawalpindi.

When questioned, he maintained that there is no strict control over the movement of kites, which they normally transport in their private cars and charge an additional fee for home delivery.

In the Haripur kite market, there were families who had travelled from Rawalpindi with their children to purchase kites and strings. Mohammad Asjad and Mohammad Zunair, barely 12 to 14 years old, along with their parents, arrived from Rawalpindi Cantonment to purchase a couple of dozen kites of various sizes and colours, as well as a couple of reels of ordinary strings, for the upcoming Basant festival.

Sohail Mehdi, a social worker who works on children’s rights, commented on the situation, saying that instead of outlawing kite flying, the government should work with those involved in the industry to ensure that chemical and metal strings are not traded and that only traditional strings, which have been used for decades to ensure citizens’ safety, are used.

“Kite-flying associations all over the country are ready to cooperate with police and administration in controlling the use of chemical and metal strings,” Mohammad Iqbal said, adding that kite and string manufacturers should also be included in the discussion to develop a code of conduct to ensure the safety of the citizens on Basant day.

Nobody knows exactly when kites were invented, but history finds its traces in China, where in 200 BC, Chinese General Han Ksin of the Han Dynasty flew a kite over the walls of a city he was attacking to determine how far his army would have to tunnel to get past the defences.

By the 13th century, kite-flying had been spread by traders from China to Korea and across Asia to India and the Middle East. In the same century, European explorer Marco Polo mentioned kite-flying in his book and how Chinese merchants used kites to determine whether or not a voyage would be profitable for them. Kite-flying spread throughout Europe between the 14th and 15th centuries, and one finds its mention in the travelogues of Vasco da Gama, Giovanni Della Porta, and the work of William Shakespeare.