Basant and the Ban

Basant being a very famous event from many years was transformed into the shape of a festival which was celebrated with joy and enthusiasm by the people of Lahore. It was for many years officially backed by the government and sponsored by multinational corporations. Although Basant "travels" throughout Pakistani Punjab it is Lahore which made it popular not only in Pakistan but all over the world as the largest kite festival. Unfortunately there are accidents and even deaths during the festival each year because of the public's ignorance towards the use of banned strings and also gunfire. Due to these unfortunate incidents and causalities, Basant left people thinking about that it should be celebrated or not? And due to uncontrollable causalities the answer to this question came in a no from government in the form of a ban.
If kite flying in Pakistan were not controversial enough already, religion is also entangled in the matter, with sections of the country’s Muslim majority objecting to Basant on grounds of its Hindu roots. Last year the festival was overshadowed by the tragic Lahore bombings, but with both pro- and anti-kite flying supporters ready to continue the kite fight, things look up in the air for 2009. “Each year the festival spells tragedy for many families”, the BBC's Paul Anderson in Pakistan says.
It has become a highly competitive event in which people employ extraordinary skills to bring down - better still, capture - an opponent's kite. Sometimes they use string coated in pulverized glass to cut an opponent's kite; other times metal wire - which is often coated in corrosive chemicals. The authorities have banned the use of metal- or chemical-lined strings to try to prevent accidents or electrocutions from kite-flying. Strings made of thin metal wire or coated with glass were outlawed last year but the ban was never enforced in view of their popularity with kite flying enthusiasts. Metal or glass coated strings help cut the strings of rival kites - the main objective of the sport. But they can catch unsuspecting bikers across the throat, at times with fatal consequences. Metal kites also cause short-circuits in overhead power cables, leading to heavy losses for electricity utilities.