Kite association to press ahead with Basant plans

Event scheduled for last week of February

RAWALPINDI: Despite a ban imposed on flying kites by the Punjab government, the Rawalpindi Kite Association (RKA) has announced plans to celebrate the annual Basant festival with traditional cultural zeal.

In a statement on Sunday, RKA officials said that their event is scheduled to commence on the night of February 21, and will continue late into February 22.

RKA office-bearer Haji Iqbal and Aurangzaib asserted that the traditional festival will be celebrated this year just as it is every year despite the ban imposed by the government.

They urged the government to grant permission to celebrate the event and suggested that instead of imposing a blanket ban on a cultural festival, the government should instead tighten the noose around those who use hazardous instruments such as chemically-lined threads and threads with metal wires and glass shards.

Kite economy

In view of the event, the proliferation of kites of different shapes, sizes, colours and threads from Peshawar and other adjoining areas to Rawalpindi has seen a sharp rise. Owing to the increasing demand, vendors have increased prices of kites and threads by as much as 25%.

A small kite of good quality, which used to be sold for Rs30 is now being sold for as much as Rs100. Kites with elaborate designs are being sold for as much as Rs300, while prices of good-quality thread rolls have skyrocketed to as much as Rs500.

However, due to fear of police action and the ban, these items are not being sold openly and dealings for the contraband take place clandestinely away from markets.

Meanwhile, the ban has failed to dissuade kite flyers in the city and a sharp increase in the activity has been seen ahead of next month’ festival — which marks the arrival of the spring season.

Police action

The Rawalpindi police, in its crackdown against kite flyers and sellers, arrested a kite-seller and recovered more than 10,000 kites and a large number of rolls of thread from his possession.

Briefing the Rawalpindi City Police Officer (RPO) Ahsan Younus, Potohar Divison SP Syed Ali said that a clampdown against kite enthusiasts is underway. He added that the Race Course police arrested Lal Muhammad and seized thousands of kites and threads from his possession.

The SP said that the suspect has confessed to his crime while further investigations had revealed that he planned to sell them in the city.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 13^th, 2020.