Lahoris prepare for Basant

* Another death and banned again, warns Punjab government

By Noshad Ali

LAHORE: Roofs have been decorated, drum beaters engaged and hotel rooms booked as Lahore prepares for Basant.

The Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) has decorated and illuminated several of the city’s roads and the spring festival continued at the Race Course Park.

Ghulam Rasool of Libra Light House said he had closed bookings because all of his 500 lights and hangers had been rented. He said he lent 500-watt searchlights for Rs 50, 1000-watt searchlights for Rs 100 and hangers for Rs 35. Ghulam Rasool also runs a catering service, and said he had received several barbeque orders for Basant night.

People have begun renting out roofs of their houses in an just outside the Walled City. Muhammad Amjad, a Shahalam Market trader, said he had rented out his six-storeyed plaza’s 10-marla roof for 24 hours at Rs 50,000 to a bank. He said several plaza owners were trying to rent their roofs to multinationals and some were giving ads in newspapers to get the best deals. He said many multinationals were not celebrating Basant with foreign guests because of its ‘controversial status’.

Aslam, a drumbeater from Chakwala Wala said a young mn from Gulberg had booked his team for Basant at Rs 2,000. He said every drumbeater had different rates and the rates. He said people also liked bugles and rattles, which could be bought for Rs 200 to Rs 300 each.

A Wahdat Road tailor said he had received numerous orders for yellow clothes but they were less than last year, because Basant fell in Safar and Shias did not celebrate before the 20th of Safar.

The kite makers’ business picked up and kite prices have rocketed because of the closure of the business at wholesale and retail level.

According to district government figures, 3,500 kite sellers registered with the authorities. However, the police closed down almost all kite shops at Noonarian Chowk inside Mochi Gate, angering kite dealers. Kites earlier sold at Rs 8 to Rs 25 are now being sold at Rs 12 to Rs 35. Kite string rates increase three times after it was banned. The string available for Rs 275 were now being black-marketed at Rs 700.

Muhammad Shehzad, a kite flyer, said that he had bought a four piece ‘charkhi’ at Rs 500 before the ban, which was now being sold at Rs 1,500 as vendors look for more and more profits. He said in Lahore there was no concept of flying kites without manja-coated thread and no permission to cut other people’s kites.

District Coordination Officer Mian Ejaz said shops could not be closed but the administration was taking measures to prevent the sale of material prohibited by the Supreme Court. “All shopkeepers sell manja-coated kite string which was not allowed, therefore they were closed down. He agreed, however, that the shops that did not violate laws should not be closed.

He said that the Punjab government was under immense pressure because of the recent kitestring deaths and that kite flying would be banned again if another person died.

Executive District Revenue Officer (EDO) Malik Muhammad Baksh said he did not know why Lahore police was closing down shops as only he and his team were authorised to check the use of prohibited kite flying material. He did not comment on how many raids he had committed. Capital City Police Officer and SSP Operations Lahore were not available for comment.

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