Basant festival likely in February

CDGL official says government to start awareness campaign for safety measures

LAHORE

Once again, the city will soon be echoing with the sounds of Boo Kata as the Punjab government may allow celebration of Basant festival in February next year.

Provincial Minister Rana Mashhood on Monday revealed that the Basant Committee, constituted by the government, has recommended holding of Basant festival in the coming month of February, 2017. He said as per the recommendations of the committee, Basant related activities will be held at designated places in the provincial capital.

Lahore, which is known as the cultural capital of the country, has faced many blows vis-à-vis to its traditional cultural activities during the last two decades, including elimination of Basant festival. During the last several years, Basant festival, which was considered one of the main cultural events of the city, had turned into a blood taking event and eventually the government imposed a complete ban on this traditional festivity.

“Reason for this is introduction of innovations to keep the string more powerful and lethal,” said Khurshid Butt, a resident of Prem Gali, Railway Road and former champion of several kite-flying championships.

He said the new innovations in kite twine increased throat-slit incidents across the city due to which the event was first banned by the apex court and then by the Punjab government.

Sources in the City District Government Lahore (CDGL) claimed that Lahore DCO has received the recommendations of the committee and will announce the festival following a formal order by the Punjab government. Sources said strict monitoring of the event was also planned to avoid injuries, loss of life and property at hands of kite-lovers.

Following an increase in throat-slit incidents due to thick and strong twine, Basant was banned in 2005. Dozens of youths as well as children were killed while many sustained serious injuries in the year 2005 and 2006. Statistics showed that about seven people, including minor children were killed in the year 2007 due to throat-slit incidents.

The colourful event of Basant also faced opposition from Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco), Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) and Pepco as kite-flying also resulted in frequent power tripping besides damaging the sensitive installations.

It is pertinent to mention here that despite all odds kite-lovers continued to refute the ban and used to fly kites in various city localities. In recent years, Basant festival was also celebrated in various cities, including Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Multan, Islamabad, Quetta, Kasur, Pakpattan, Okara, Sheikhupura and Sharaqpur Sharif in which a large number of Lahorites also participated.

Khurshid Butt while talking with the scribe said that one of the recommendations should be use of twine in its old method (twine ball). Giving logic, he said, twine makers used machines to wrap thick twine on Charkhi, which they cannot do on a ball (Pinna) manually. Besides, this thick twine cannot be used in more quantity on Pinna as it is used on Charkhi, he maintained and added that thick twine was the main cause of throat-slashing incidents. He also suggested that the government should not allow sale of kites bigger than a specific size (2-1/2 Tawa, Gudda and 5 Gith Patang). He said kite below these sizes did not need thick twine for flying. A senior CDGL official said the government had also planned to start a massive awareness campaign for kite-flyers, parents, students, motorcyclists and general public regarding the safety measures on Basant festival. He also urged the kite-lovers to sacrifice use of thick twine and big kites if they wanted to renew the culture and festival of Basant. He said parents should stop their children from flying kites with metal wires, which were the major cause of power failure and electricity tripping in the city.

Tanya Qureshi, a senior official of Walled City of Lahore Authority (WCLA) said that Basant festival was the most popular event of inside Lahore and people still had strong memories related to this event. “The event is a must to revive cultural activities in the city,” she said, adding it would also boost economic activities across the city especially in walled city.