KITE flying is one of the most economical and affordable sources of entertainment and sports for the less privileged youth. Although it is very popular in Punjab, it is enjoyed by the people of other provinces also. The festival of Basant cannot be celebrated without the flying of kites. This event is meaningless without kite-fights. The excitement and the pleasure that kite fighters have after cutting the kites of opponents, is immeasurable.

Have the winners of the kite-fighting ever thought the cost a person other than the loser of the fight pays when the loser’s string with ‘manjha’ (very sharp glass powder coated cord) slits the throat of an innocent citizen? These are not very uncommon road accidents which very often appear in the media. Recently, in Karachi a five year old girl died in the lap of her father when her throat was slit with a sharp stray kite string, while sitting on a motor bike in front of her father.

Now, a question arises. Who are the killers: the winners of kite-fights, the sellers of kites, the manjha makers, or the custodians of law and order of the area? Despite a ban imposed by local administration on kite flying, it is a very common and exciting activity. This is a crime which cannot remain unnoticed even by highly inefficient and incompetent law and order custodians. It needed a willingness to perform duty. It is urged that stern action should be taken against the SHOs of the area where kite flying is noticed. Unless they are considered accused party in FIRs in such accidents, these events will always remain a regular cause of road accidents.

S. Zaki Hasan
Karachi

Published in Dawn, August 8th, 2020