Myriad issues swirl around Lahore's kite-flying ban

Lahore: This year, the clear blue skies of Lahore's crisp winter, ideal for kite flying, have remained largely vacant.

A few forlorn kites, tempted out by the breeze, have fluttered briefly now and then. But the sight of bright flecks of paper dotting the skies has vanished.

The reason is the ban imposed on kite-flying by the then Punjab government, after a series of deaths caused by razor-sharp kite twine.

The string is used as kites test each other in the skies in a contest known as a "paicha", where each contender attempts to cut the string of his or her rival as the paper toys are made to swoop and dive.

The skill involved in this is an integral part of "Basant", the kite-flying festival traditionally observed at spring across the northern parts of the subcontinent.

But the use of chemicals to reinforce strings in recent years, in addition to the usual glass paste preparation, means the twine has slit throats - most often when caught around the throats of passengers on motorcycles.

The gory deaths of such victims also led to courts imposing ban orders, while allowing for a 15-day waiver to mark Basant.

The kite manufacturing industry employs thousands who have been rendered jobless by the ban. The Basant festival, over the years before the 2006 ban, had also evolved into one of the biggest in South Asia.

It brought in thousands of tourists and providing a big boost to hotels, restaurants and other businesses.

Popularity

"We benefited immensely from Basant. It brought a good name to the country. The deaths are tragic, but the government must find ways to make kite-flying safe but not stopping it altogether," said Abdul Jabbar, who owns a small café in Lahore's walled city, the epicentre of kite-flying.

The issue runs deeper. Senior journalist and director of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, I.A.Rehman, has for instance blamed authorities of seeking to "prevent enjoyment" by imposing the ban.

He, and others like him, argue people must be given an opportunity for enjoyment and pleasure.

The controversy has thickened with orthodox religious groups opposing kite-flying as a Hindu festival.

The controversy is certain to crop up once more as the kite-flying season begins in earnest, and how it is sorted out will be a matter that is closely watched over the coming months.