LAHORE: The members of the Lahore Basant Festival (LBF) and District Kite Flying Association (DKFA) said that Basant was very important for Lahoris, as it had been part and parcel of Lahore’s culture for the last 250 years.
Festival organiser Syed Zulfiqar Hussain and DKFA Secretary Sheikh Muhammad Saleem said this in a joint press conference at a local hotel on Friday.
They said, “We will not let anyone stop the festivities of Basant, which is a historical and cultural event of Lahore. Celebrating Basant is essential to keep intact the culture of this city, bring people out of trauma, and to promote Pakistan’s soft image before the international community.” Hussain said, “The recent terrorist acts in Pakistan have pushed the people into a traumatic situation, and it is this festival that can help restore the image of Pakistan and normalise the situation.” He said that Basant was the name of liveliness, and it was a tool to bring people close to each other. However, he said that the event was not complete without kite flying. He said that almost five million people, including foreigners, celebrated the festival of kites in Lahore. “The event helps promote tourism, transport and the trade industry,” he said, and added that the festival helped generate revenue of over Rs 5 billion a year. He said that the festival had become an industry, by which thousands of people earned their livelihood.
Shaikh Saleem said that the kite flying festival of Lahore was one of the biggest events in the world. “We do not want to put the new government to test, but demand that the festivities of kite flying be ensured,” he said.
He said that the government had framed new rules and regulations for the event, and the stakeholders were no longer allowed to celebrate it for free.
He said that the people associated with the kite industry were not being provided a chance to work. He said that there was sufficient legislation on the matter in question, but now there was a need to allow the people to celebrate the event and let those associated with it do their business.
The members also proposed April 12 and April 13 as the new dates for Basant in the city.
Hussain said that Basant was scheduled for February 23-24, but it was postponed owing to the delay in the general elections. “The new date was March 15-16, but the tragedy of suicide attacks have affected this programme, and now the new date is April 12-13,” he said.
Both the organisers requested Lahoris not to celebrate Basant on March 15-16, but get ready for it on the new given date. They urged the government to direct the police not to register cases against children, and take action against those producing prohibited twines.
Meanwhile, the city nazim’s spokesman, Abdual Qadoos, said, “The city government will not allow kite flying in any case and on any date.” He also said that anyone found flying kites would be dealt with according to the law.
Dr Mehdi Hassan
Basant should be celebrated. Why should we suffer? Such events are meant to console distressed minds and boost their morale. When was the last time we laughed? It is a necessity for the country, which has become very depressed where even schoolchildren have been grazed by terrorism. The government has no rational reason to ban something that refreshes.
Shahtaj Qazalbash
People of the city should not be deprived of their freedom to enjoy their lives through recreational activities on the arrival of spring. The government should take better law and order measures to improve the situation and alleviate the fear spread in the city. Basant is a historic festival, which needs to be celebrated because it helps make the society open and liberal. It will also help the people overcome the terror in the city. It is a very old festival and part of our tradition. It should not be banned.
Yousuf Salahuddin
It is the day of the poor man. The elite enjoy their daily lives, but this is one of the few family entertainments for the poor. Last year, reports said that many children had died due to kite twine, but the reality is that they died because of stray bullets. The government cannot control the law and order situation and blames others for it instead.
Courtesy: Daily Times, 15/3/2008
ban on anything is not the solution of any problem govt must take possitive step to controll over the hard string and camical string and it is true there is no lahore without basant
hi we are butt brothers from london uk and we go to pakistan atleast once and only around basant time. there is four of us and me and about five of my friends go to lahore specially for this event. now these people are even try to ban the the last good thing happening in pakistan. cum on.the only reason these people are banning bassant is because it only does good for the poor sector of the pakistani and the desicion makers dont get much bribe, if they did basant will be all year round. holla bak
Government and organisers shall take steps to aloow basant in lahor.and also take serious actions to those who make harmful threads. basant is the right of lahoriis and should be celebrated.its a request to the organisers to make necessary steps.
it is really true no lahore without basant so please no ban basant but control chemicals & other things but please please please no ban basant
it is true no lahore with out basant so please no ban basant but control chemicals & other things but please please please no ban basant in lahore
AOA
friendz how are u all . the gov of pakistan is making us feel bcz they cant give us any happyness punjab was happpy when we won world cup n know this was the event to make people happy
one thing more
gov to polition
polition to gov
bill have to the poor people