Youths rally for safety from kite twine

LAHORE: Hundreds of youths gathered in front of the Lahore Press Club and demanded that the government take immediate action, run a campaign and devise a policy to install antennas on all motorbikes as this is the only way to ensure safety to citizens, and, thus, safe kite flying.

The youth gathered on their motorbikes as well as on feet. They had installed safely antennas on their bikes to demand that the government initiate a safety campaign to ensure safety to people. They were holding banners and placards inscribed with slogans against illegal and fatal kite-flying and demanding steps by the government to curb the lethal acts.

Protesters also burnt the thick string spools blamed for the deaths to communicate that as responsible citizens, they extend their support to the government to ensure that such string was not used.

Adil Qureshi, leading the group, said that it only cost Rs 200 to install the antenna which ensured safety to the riders. He said it had been almost 10 years now since the ban imposed on Basant and year round kite flying but there had been no letup in deaths related to stray kite string. Why is it that even though the police claimed that it had arrested 1,380 offenders in the last three months, he questioned.

The protesters said that this was because the policy of Punjab government, which is limited to coercion, had failed. It was bound to fail in a city of 12 million people with an 800 year old tradition of kite flying.

The Safe Kite Flying Association of Punjab came together in front of the Lahore Press Club on Sunday to condole the deaths of citizens due to kite string and to show a way to the Punjab government towards citizens' safety.

The basic message of the protest was that it was the responsibility of the Punjab government to provide safety and security to the citizens of Lahore and Punjab. By purely concentrating on coercive measures, rather than taking any safety measures, the the government has failed to provide security to the citizens, and, thus, it responsible for every death related to kite string in the city of Lahore, they alleged.