A significant number of kites continue to hover in the skies of the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad despite a ban on kite flying, with citizens flouting orders and the administration failing to ensure complete compliance with the restriction.
While some citizens have asked for a complete crackdown on dealers and have demanded effective implementation of the ban to prevent the loss of precious lives in the name of commemorating the spring festival of Basant, others are fully prepared to celebrate it blatantly.
Amjad Ali, a resident of Rawalpindi, said that kite-flying was a dangerous activity. “A crowd of people including children run after falling kites, hoping to catch them,” he said. “In doing so, they blindly enter roads, as their eyes are glued on the kites high above them, and often end up getting seriously injured or even losing their lives in an accident.”
A young girl named Irum expressed her concerns over aerial firing that has become an integral part of almost all celebrations, including kite-flying. Whenever a kite was cut, it was followed by intense firing, she said.
Irum told APP that such people had no regard for others’ safety. “The sound of firing is annoying and disturbing for law-abiding citizens, and stray bullets pose a grave threat to our lives,” she stated.
Talking about the dangers of using a string containing a metallic component (dhati dor), a man recalled his narrow escape from getting electrocuted. “There have been numerous incidents where bikers had their throats slit open with kite strings,” he said.
Others, including university student Sheraz, do not feel any legal or moral obligation to comply with the ban as he openly relayed his preparations for the festival.
One person was of the view that banning a festival was not a feasible solution. “There are festivals—such as bullfighting—that are more dangerous than Basant,” he insisted. “It is better to find a solution and facilitate citizens so that people may celebrate Basant in a safer manner through a controlled environment and other appropriate measures.”
Since the start of the year, the Rawalpindi police have arrested more than 300 individuals and have confiscated more than 60,000 kites along with more than 1,300 rolls of strings.
Bikers cautioned
Rawalpindi traffic police have advised motorcyclists to use safety wires to protect themselves from ‘killer strings’.
Moreover, they have appealed to the citizens to refrain from kite-flying, terming the sport ‘bloody and life-threatening.’
Published in The Express Tribune, February 14th, 2022.
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