THIS is with reference to the report ‘Police submit report on Basant security plan in LHC’ (Jan 17 Dawn), according to which the Lahore High Court (LHC) was briefed in detail about the security plan for the upcoming three-day Basant festival, which will be celebrated in Lahore from Feb 6, following the passage of the Punjab Regulation of Kite Flying Bill, 2025, that ended a suspension of the festival after almost two decades. Soon, the skies in the Punjab capital would be filled with fluttering kites.
However, we must remember why the festival was banned in the first place. It was because people had lost their lives, some had their throats slit, while others, including children, had fallen from rooftops while chasing kites. One hopes that the return of the festival will be a more guarded affair.
Although kite flying has been banned across Punjab since 2007, many have continued over the years to ignore the ban. This lack of responsibility and disregard for law resulted in the deaths of both minors and adults. Kite strings are extremely thin, sharp and almost invisible. It is often noticed by the human eye when it is already too late. A few years ago, I watched a video of a man on his motorcycle who suddenly stopped, unaware of what had happened. Only a few seconds later, blood came gushing out of his neck, and he died on the spot.
Even though an age-based limit has been set under the new regulations, chances are that all such regulations might not be strictly enforced. After all, we do see underage children riding motorbikes and driving cars in our streets despite there being a law against such a practice. The only effective measures to prevent any casualty is to ensure that people fly kites in open spaces, motorcyclists wear helmets, and Basant is celebrated on a single day so that youngsters may not feel encouraged to engage in ‘running’ contests over multiple days.
Zahra Imtiaz
Hafizabad
