February 24, 2007	Saturday	Safar 6, 1428

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LAHORE, Feb 23: This year’s Basant or sprig festival may lack the traditional festive mood as the government has announced a lot of measures to discipline fans who are celebrating the festival with kite flying this year.

The Punjab government promulgated an ordinance to enforce such a discipline and the chief minister’s committee, set up to suggest safety measures for the sport, announced in January this year a number of protective measures and punitive steps for violation of the law for kite flying. The government has relaxed the ban on the kite flying for two days. The committee also warned the enthusiasts to ensure strict compliance with restrictive measures.

The restrictions on the sport may dampen the spirit of the enthusiasts. Pre-Basant days lacked the usual excitement which has been the tradition of the Lahorites for decades. The sale of kites and twine inside Mochi Gate, the largest kite market in Lahore, was reportedly in a low profile. A large number of policemen was deployed there to ensure that the kite business remained within the confines of the law.

District Nazim Mian Amer said on Friday that any one found using metallic wire, charkhi and other abrasive string could end up in prison for three years and a fine of Rs100,000.

He said another restrictive measure, introduced this year, was that kite flying fans would have to seek permission from police and union council nazims to enjoy the sport on their rooftop. Such kite flyers are required to pay Rs100 for obtaining such permission.

Similarly, the City District Government Lahore has earmarked only two places inside the Walled City — Haveli Asif Jah inside Choona Mandi and the Lahore Fort — to celebrate government-sponsored Basant.

This may be the first time in last two decades that Mian Yousuf Salahuddin, who invites and entertains guests from among top political leaders, bureaucrats and foreign countries on this event, will not be able to have a gathering in his Haveli in Langay Mandi.

Likewise, major city hotels have abandoned kite flying on their rooftops. Only a hotel on Davis Road has announced arranging kite flying on its premises.

Motorcyclists also face a mandatory legal provision of installing safety rods over their vehicles. The city government, town councils and union councils distributed about 50,000 safety devices to motorcyclists free of cost. The motorcyclists have been directed to use this device because many deaths have occurred when razor sharp twine slit throats.

The Punjab law provides that kite flyers will face murder charges and a possible death penalty if their sharp strings cause deaths. The provincial government promulgated the Punjab Prohibition of Kite Flying (Amendment) Ordinance on Jan 22, 2006, which allows district governments to lift ban on the sport for 15 days and issue a notification after getting an approval from the provincial authorities.

The CDG consequently lifted the ban for 14 days last year from Feb 25 to March 10 by relaxing the restriction. The relaxation, however, was withdrawn a day earlier (on March 9) when restrictive measures were violated.

The Supreme Court, upon a suo motu, had imposed a ban on kite flying in 2005 and directed the provinces to enact laws on prohibition of the ‘dangerous’ sport. The Punjab was the last to promulgate such a law. The SC said that deaths by sharp twine had risen so much as to warrant such a ban. According to a recent newspaper report, about 500 people lost their lives in different kite flying-related incidents since 1995.