20000219

Basant: more festivities, more kite-flying

TANVIR SHAHZAD

LAHORE: Basant activities in the Punjab metropolis have been gathering momentum at a frenzied pace with a more-than-a-grand finale expected on Sunday.

According to a survey conducted by Business Recorder, due to government patronage and a number of programmes having been arranged by the Parks and Horticulture Authority, Punjab, as well as the Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation, Basant zeal and fervour amongst Lahorites has increased even further this year.

According to an estimate, the total number of selling points of kite and string, including permanent and temporary spots in the provincial metropolis, has increased to more than 3,000. The main kite markets are located at the Mochi Gate and Akbari Gate in the Old City as well as in Gulbarg, Samanabad, Ichhra and Baghbanpura. Besides the kite shops in the traditional kite centres of Lahore, it is for the first time that modern departmental stores like pace and others are also selling kites and strings.

Punjab Horticulture Authority and Tourism Department's joint venture, 'Basant Festival' being celebrated at the Race Course Park is the main attraction for the Lahorites. This festival presents a fine picture of the traditional foods and culture of the Punjab province.

Like every year, a number of multinational companies have booked roof-tops of all the prominent hotels of the city to entertain their clients on this festive occasion. They have prepared special kites inscribed with their product names and brands as a flying kite in the sky can help a lot in projecting their products.

A large number of people have also started reaching Lahore from other cities and some of those living abroad are also coming back home to celebrate Basant. It has also given a boost to the hotel business while increasing the economic burden for many Lahorites.

From the last one week, several cultural organisations were also organising Basant festivals. Music shows are being organised in which songs specially prepared for this occasion are enthralling the audience.

Important and prominent roads and crossings of the city have been decorated tastefully with colourful kites of various kinds by a cold drink manufacturing company. Like always, a debate is also generating heat in some circles of the city regarding the justification of celebrating this festival.

Some circles justify the celebration as a seasonal festival and a well-deserved entertainment while others oppose it saying it is a Hindu tradition and wastage of money and time.

Those engaged in the kite-making business are much perturbed that the date of Basant was fixed in the last days of the month, due to which the salaried class was finding it impossible to make the necessary purchases. On-going cricket matches and unfavourable windy conditions have also badly damaged kite sales in the city, said Farid, proprietor of Latif Kite Centre in Mochi Gate.

Mohammad Usman of Japan Kite-Flying Shop said that the Basant Festival, arranged by the Punjab government, has also damaged the sale of kites as people preferred to join this festival instead of flying kites at their houses.

Shahbaz-ul-Hassan Butt, of Bobi Kite Centre, a trader of Ravi Road, said that the government must encourage the private sector to produce special kite-flying string in the country so that poor people could also enjoy Basant. He said that it is going to be a festival of the rich due to the increasing cost of kites and string. It is relevant to mention here that the kites ranging from Rs 4 per pair to Rs 2,500 per pair are available in the market this year.

Mohammad Imran, a kite seller of Lahore Cantt, stated that the restriction imposed by Wapda and the government regarding the sale of specific brands of kite string has also damaged the sale of kites.

Rizwan Hamid, a resident of Samanabad, stated that sub-standard kite string is injuring the hands of innocent children which could result in severe medical complications. He demanded of the government to take notice of the sale of such strings.

Naveed Shahin, a student of Pakistan Law College, said that kite-flying in residential areas as well as localities along main roads, highways must be banned as, some times, it proves fatal for the road users, specially motorcyclists.