Crackdown: A spring sky bereft of kites

City police cracks down on people involved in flouting prohibition on kite flying.

LAHORE: Operations DIG Haider Ashraf said on Sunday that city police had arrested 35 people for flouting the prohibition on kite flying.

He said the arrests were made as part of a crackdown against kite flying across Lahore. Ashraf said police had also seized 1,900 kites and 2,000 charkhas (spools) in the crackdown. He said police had also cracked down on kite and twine manufacturers. “Zero tolerance would be shown to those guilty of flying kites,” Ashraf said.  He said he had ordered SHOs across the city to take strict action against those partaking in the activity.



Ashraf said the operations wing had been directed to take action against people involved in vending and manufacturing kites. He said special teams had been constituted to curb the incidence of kite-flying and take action against people selling twine and kites. Ashraf said policemen had been ordered to work in tandem with city government officials in this regard. He said police had been striving to ensure that the prohibition was enforced and violators were brought to book.

Ghulam Rasool, A kite manufacturer hailing from the Walled City, told The Express Tribune that the government’s decision to ban kite flying had compromised his livelihood. The man, who hails from a family of kite makers, said he had been struggling to put food on the table following the introduction of the prohibition.  “I cannot even provide my children with two meals a day,” the man lamented.  He said kite flying provided people with a source of livelihood in addition to being a popular recreational activity. The man questioned whether the government cared about the plight of kite makers who had lost their livelihood in the wake of the prohibition.

Naeem Hashmi, a kite enthusiast, fondly recalled how the Walled City used to be abuzz with excitement on Basant eve.  He said battle cries of bo kata heralding the arrival of spring in the city had now become a relic of the past. Hashmi said the practice of using metallic twine had gained traction following the popularization of kite fights. He said this had compromised public safety with incidences of head injuries and other accidents becoming a permanent fixture of news during the season. Hashmi said the government had found it convenient to ban the activity in 2005 rather than revamping rules and regulations to make them more stringent.

Muhammad Saeed Hassan, another kite enthusiast, stressed on the importance of passing down the tradition from one generation to another in accordance with custom. Hassan said efforts should be made to ensure that the practice did not die out.

Zainab Hassan, a resident of Model Town, said the decision to deprive the people of Basant was bereft of logic. She said banning kite flying due to deaths in accidents was akin to prohibiting vehicles due to the possibility of fatal traffic mishaps. Hassan said Basant used to overcome barriers of class and religion. She said the festival used to additionally provide millions of youngsters from all backgrounds with a recreational opportunity. Hassan said the government should try to make Basant safer rather than banning it. “The Indian government has managed to mitigate casualties by ensuring the effective implementation of strict kite flying laws. Why cannot our government follow the example of the Indian government on this front,” she asked.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 9^th, 2015.