Kite flying
On October 25, a four-member bench of the Supreme Court had imposed a one-month ban on kite flying, manufacturing, buying and selling. The bench had directed the IGP Punjab to implement the ban in its true spirit. But, despite the Supreme Court’s imposition of a ban on kite flying, it is clearly evident from numerous incidents that there has been no proper implementation of the ban.
Kite flying has been a favourite sport amongst many in Pakistan and this ban has raised many a few eyebrows. The protesters argue that it is a recreational sport and a means of light, fun entertainment. Government officials claim that the potential hazards of kite flying should not be taken lightly as irresponsible indulgence may cause injury or death. Hence the ban was motivated by concerns for safety.
Kite flying in Pakistan is frequently made more into a competition than a hobby. The flyers pit their kites against each other in skilled attempts to cut their rival’s strings. In order to gain advantage, most flyers buy string, which has been specially coated with ground glass (manja) and occasionally ground metal paste that hardens the string and sharpens it till it slices like a knife. For these reasons too, this recreational activity has become as much a liability as an entertainment. Lahore District Nazim Mian Aamer Mahmood has said, “A game should only be a game and not a source of danger to the public.”
While high on the sport, a kite-flying enthusiast said, “Since 9/11, people think that the Pakistanis are terrorists but it’s not true. We are a liberal, fun-loving people.” Whereas the city officials say that at least 45 people have died of kite-related injuries in the past six months, dozens of motorcyclists have been garrotted by kite strings while numerous have sustained injuries. It is also reported that due to the kite flying, Lesco’s installations worth one billion rupees were damaged while 15,566 trippings were recorded in a month. If slashing throats, damaging electrical wires, disturbing the peace and quiet of the city is what one calls ‘entertainment’, then we are certainly better off without the said entertainment.
While the Supreme Court should be lauded for imposing a ban on a dangerous sport, the police department has yet again shown its ineptitude. The other day, a two-and-a-half-year old girl was the victim of a kite string. While riding on a motorbike in the Shadbagh area, a stray kite string slit open her throat and she died of bleeding within minutes. When her father went to the police station to register an FIR, the duty officer refused, claiming that since it was a stray kite string and in the absence of the culprit’s name, the FIR could not be lodged. It is the height of insolence that the authorities are not implementing the law and on top of it are refusing to lodge complaints regarding the law’s violation. Although the SSP has suspended the SHO and an ASI, and ordered the Shadbagh police to register the case, it still leaves one in doubt whether the law and order authorities would ever honestly perform their duties.
The Supreme Court should order the authorities to properly implement this ban because the current scenario is visibly mocking the Supreme Court ban and virtually telling the Supreme Court to go fly a kite!
Kite flying has been a favourite sport amongst many in Pakistan and this ban has raised many a few eyebrows. The protesters argue that it is a recreational sport and a means of light, fun entertainment. Government officials claim that the potential hazards of kite flying should not be taken lightly as irresponsible indulgence may cause injury or death. Hence the ban was motivated by concerns for safety.
Kite flying in Pakistan is frequently made more into a competition than a hobby. The flyers pit their kites against each other in skilled attempts to cut their rival’s strings. In order to gain advantage, most flyers buy string, which has been specially coated with ground glass (manja) and occasionally ground metal paste that hardens the string and sharpens it till it slices like a knife. For these reasons too, this recreational activity has become as much a liability as an entertainment. Lahore District Nazim Mian Aamer Mahmood has said, “A game should only be a game and not a source of danger to the public.”
While high on the sport, a kite-flying enthusiast said, “Since 9/11, people think that the Pakistanis are terrorists but it’s not true. We are a liberal, fun-loving people.” Whereas the city officials say that at least 45 people have died of kite-related injuries in the past six months, dozens of motorcyclists have been garrotted by kite strings while numerous have sustained injuries. It is also reported that due to the kite flying, Lesco’s installations worth one billion rupees were damaged while 15,566 trippings were recorded in a month. If slashing throats, damaging electrical wires, disturbing the peace and quiet of the city is what one calls ‘entertainment’, then we are certainly better off without the said entertainment.
While the Supreme Court should be lauded for imposing a ban on a dangerous sport, the police department has yet again shown its ineptitude. The other day, a two-and-a-half-year old girl was the victim of a kite string. While riding on a motorbike in the Shadbagh area, a stray kite string slit open her throat and she died of bleeding within minutes. When her father went to the police station to register an FIR, the duty officer refused, claiming that since it was a stray kite string and in the absence of the culprit’s name, the FIR could not be lodged. It is the height of insolence that the authorities are not implementing the law and on top of it are refusing to lodge complaints regarding the law’s violation. Although the SSP has suspended the SHO and an ASI, and ordered the Shadbagh police to register the case, it still leaves one in doubt whether the law and order authorities would ever honestly perform their duties.
The Supreme Court should order the authorities to properly implement this ban because the current scenario is visibly mocking the Supreme Court ban and virtually telling the Supreme Court to go fly a kite!
Comments
A better idea would be to only allow kite-flying in playgrounds or stadiums, with proper supervision.
The government, in order to promote this policy, can organize kite-flying competitions in designated areas.
-SaK
Sak that is exactly what i thought when i read about the one month ban, I mean it doesnt actually make sense but the justification that the SC (Supreme Court) has given is that they want to test it for a month and see how successful they are ... and then maybe do something about it, though i am pretty sure that this rule can never be implemented permanently because the authorities themselves have made Basant into such a grandscale affair.