Pros and Cons of Basant

PROS AND CONS OF

BASANT

Submitted to:

Submitted by:

Mr. Mir Asghar Ali Khan

Danish Khan
Roll No. 1706

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Pros and Cons of Basant

TABLE OF CONTENTS
S.no.

TOPIC

Page No.

1. Culture of Lahore..4
2. Attractions of Basant.....7
3. The Preparations of Basant........8
4. Kite Flying.....9
5. Basant by Night....10
6. Other Attractions......10
7. Dark sides of Basant....13
8. Hakeekat Rai. ..13
9. Bring Sorrow....14
10. Nightmare16
11. Conclusion21
12. References.22

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Pros and Cons of Basant

LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL
14 December 2007
Mr. Mir Asghar Ali Khan
Instructor for Managerial Communication
Iqra University
Karachi
Dear Mr. Asghar:
I request you to accept this report on Basant that you assigned to me as final
project for fall semester 2007.
For the reason of providing you with a detailed and complete analysis of the topic,
both primary and secondary research was employed. This mostly included study of
printed materials and visit to the different websites. I would like to thank all those
who provided me their valuable help.
It has been a privilege to work on this assignment and I have put in my utmost
effort to prepare a comprehensive report on the topic. Should you have any query
concerning the report, I will be happy to discuss them with you.
Sincerely,
Danish Khan
MBA Evening

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Pros and Cons of Basant

THE CULTURE OF LAHORE

Lahore's culture is unique. Known as the cultural capital or Heart of Pakistan, the
city has been the seat of the Mughal Empire and the Sikh Empire as well as the
capital of Punjab in Mahmud Ghaznavi's 11th century empire and in the British
Empire.
Lahore played an important role in Pakistani history, as it was in this city where
the independence declaration for Pakistan was made. The city was the only known
major city of the British Empire that would come into the new Muslims state. It
was the largest city in the newly formed Pakistan at the time of independence and
provided the easiest access to India, with its porous border near the Indian city of
only 30 miles (48 km) to the east. Large numbers of Hindus, Sikhs, and Muslims
lived closely in Lahore in the, and the city suffered many revolts and
demonstrations, as well as bloodshed and mobs, at the time of independence.
Lahore was also wanted by the Sikhs since it used to be their capital before the
British. Initially, Lahore was planned to be made the capital of the newly formed
Pakistan, but the idea was dropped due to the city's close proximity to India;
Karachi was chosen instead. Lahore's culture -- its history, institutions, food,
clothing, films, music, fashion, and liberal community lifestyle -- attract people
from all over the country.
Lahore is an extremely festive city. The people of Lahore celebrate many festivals
and events throughout the year, blending Mughal, Western, and current trends. and
are celebrated. Many people decorate their houses and light candles to illuminate
the streets and houses; roads and businesses are lit for days during these public
holidays

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Basant is a Punjabi festival marking the

coming of spring. Basant celebrations in
Pakistan are centered in Lahore and people
from all over the country as well as abroad
come to the city for the annual festivities.
Kite-flying competitions traditionally take
place on city rooftops during Basant. Courts
have banned the kite flying because of casualties and power installation losses.
The ban was lifted for three days in 2007, then immediately reimposed when 11
people were killed by celebratory gunfire, sharpened kite-strings, electrocution,
and falls related to the competition.
The Festival of Lamps, or Mela Chiraghan, is an important and popular event in
Lahore. This is celebrated at the same time as Basant, every spring on the last
Friday of March, outside the Shalimar Gardens.
The National Horse and Cattle Show is
one of the most famous annual
festivals, held in spring in the Fortress
Stadium. The week-long activities
include a livestock display, horse and
camel dances, tent pegging, colorful
folk dances from all regions of
Pakistan, mass-band displays, and tattoo shows in the evenings.
On August 14, the people of Pakistan celebrate the day Pakistan gained its
independence from the British Raj. There are lots of celebrations in Lahore, the
streets are full of people singing and dancing. Parades of the Pakistan Army and

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Pakistan Air Force are held early in the morning. Concerts are held with many pop
and classical singers.
The World Performing Arts Festival is held every autumn (usually in November)
at the Alhambra cultural complex, a large venue consisting of several theatres and
amphitheatres. This ten-day festival consists of musicals, theatre, concerts, and
dance, solo, mime, and puppetry shows. The festival has an international character
with nearly 80 percent of the shows performed by international performers. On
average 15-20 different shows are performed every day of the festival

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ATTRACTIONS OF BASANT
Basant or jashan e baharaan, a festival of kites and colors, yellow being the main
color, is celebrated to welcome spring in Pakistan. It's a festival when people
rejoice, dress up in yellow, or the bright colors of spring and kite flying
competitions are held. Lahore is the city where this festival is celebrated with a lot
of zeal continuously for three days, whereas in the other cities like Karachi, basant
is held for one day only.
The wave of Basant festival starts from Lahore to Faisalabad, Gunjranwala and
onward. It has become national occasion of celebration and enjoy. There are
special live television and stage programs aired from different centers. There are
grand parties, musical programs, Punjabi Banghra and cultural activities taking
place in the whole city of Lahore. The walled city is famous for the extravagant in
the festivity of Basant. There are grand parties of Wine and Dine on the roofs of
walled city. The galaxy of famous film stars mostly celebrates the Basant on the
roofs of walled city, Avari towers, Pearl Continental and at the big bungalows of
Defence area.
Basant is one of the biggest festivals throughout the country and especially in the
city of Lahore. It is a enormous social event that does not revolve around a
religious ritual but around putting thousands of kites into the sky to welcome the
new spring season and use to fly their long awaited dreams of prosperity, security,
and furthermore, love and peace in shapes of different colorful kites.

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THE PREPRATIONS
Preparations for basant starts a
month before the event. The singers
come up with catchy basant songs.
A

reservation

in

hotels

and

guesthouses becomes a nightmare,

as there are hardly rooms available.
It's a festival that attracts many
tourists from around the world.
Rooftops of important buildings and plazas also go on bookings for the kite-flying
event.
Men drape themselves in embroidered shalwar kameeze with matching anklelength scarves, little boys strut in three piece suits, and women coat their hands
with henna and stack their arms with bangles.
Families

flock

Basant

or

jashan-e-

baharaan, a festival of kites and colors,

yellow being the main color, is celebrated
on the rooftops of their residences to
enjoy. Kite flying is like a battle between
two teams. It's a time when kite makers
too celebrate due to the high demand of
kites throughout the country. Special drumbeaters are also hired for the event.
Kite flyers prepare themselves for the Final Battle on the day of Basant.
Preparations of all kinds start before the arrival of Basant. Purchase of Guddis,
Patangs, Gudhas and Doars are done before the final day. Purchase of herons, big
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drams, and others important things are bought for the celebration this festival.
Guests and friends are invited to give the honour the occasion. Today many
professional and amateur kite-flyers are gearing up for their roofs battles with their
opponents and old rivals.

KITE FLYING
Kites in Pakistan are made using thin
colored paper that is supported with
bamboo sticks. This makes them rise high
even in a zephyr. Some of the most
popular kinds of kites include Guddi,
Takla, Patang, Pari, Koop, Salonidar,
Pattidar, Charpana, and Lakhnowkat etc.
The string that is used in kite flying (manjha) is treated with finely powdered
broken glass pieces, which is a little dangerous if mishandled. The object is to fly
the kite in such a way that its string wraps around and cuts the string of the other
team's kite. Each fall of the kites is celebrated with drum beating and loud screams
of "bokata". The colors of basant are not only seen on land, but it seems as if the
whole sky celebrates and dances along with the kites of various colors, shapes and
sizes. This event does not even stop during nighttime. For the kite flyers the sky is
illuminated with lights using Powerful
electric torches, and also by tying candlelamp, "qindeel" to the kite string.
The streets of the Lahore are full with
people of all ages to catch the kites. The
race and chase is on and on throughout the
day of Basant. Many people with big sticks are stand in the every corner of the
city to catch the kites. A group of excited children ran wildly on pavements, their
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eyes glued to the sky, following every movement of the kites. Basant celebrations
have been blown completely out of proportion. By the help of kites many young
boys use this festival to convey their feelings of hearts to their beloved.

BASANT BY NIGHT
Basant at night is a new concept. It adds
new avenues of excitement. It creates new
but unique scenes of happiness, beauty and
craze. It is considered to be the peak of a
profligate and lavish cultural integration.
Nighttime kite flying in the walled old
quarter around the 16th century Badshahi
mosque and Lahore fort opens the festival. Ancient mughal palaces throw open
their doors for all-night parties to view the kites, illuminated by spotlights slashing
the

sky.

Stars from the local 'Lollywood' film industry perform with classical Qawwali
musicians at parties in traditional haveli homes. White paper kites shimmer in the
night sky, diving and soaring as rival fliers joust in duels marked by battle cries of
'Pecha!' and victory shouts of Bo Kata! Bursts of drums and trumpets mark the
cutting of a kite's cord.

OTHER ATTRACTIONS
Food stalls are put up in the open grounds,
and many concerts are held around the
country. Celebrities too rejoice along with
the people and therefore, become one of
the main attractions of this event. Horse

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and cattle show is put up where the best breed of horses and cattle are decorated
and displayed in a parade
Lahore is the provincial capital of Punjab. It's a very historical city, Mughals who
ruled the subcontinent found this city their favorite if you happen to visit this
fascinating city you'll find a lot of monuments still showing that Mughals ruled
this part of the world for a massive period of time. Lahore is such a famous city
especially in Pakistan that people of Pakistan is used to say (it's a term in Punjabi
language which means) "One who hasn't seen Lahore has seen nothing".
Traditionally its said that Basant is
celebrated to bid farewell to the winter
season and to announce the arrival of
spring season. Basant is celebrated in a
big way in Pakistan and has become a
very powerful traditional festival of
Pakistan. It's a kite-flying festival, which
had originated from India and now it's
famous across Pakistan especially in the Punjab province. In Lahore Basant is
celebrated in the month of February usually around 20th of February. Lahorians
prepare for the big event with a lot of enthusiasm and zeal. They start the
preparation for the festival very early.
Basant is celebrated on Saturday evening, which is usually called as night Basant.
The night Basant is totally different thing to see. People prepare for the night
Basant by putting floodlights on their roofs. If you get a look of sky at the night
Basant you find that sky is covered with white kites floating in the sky like stars
representing a spectacular scene. People especially ladies wear yellow clothes,
which is a traditional dress of Basant. In contrast to night Basant the Basant on day
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is a totally different experience because unlike night now people fly colorful kites
and sky is covered with vivid colors
In

March,

Basant

is

celebrated

in

Rawalpindi and Islamabad. The same is the

scene here and it is the passion. In whatever
city this fascinating festival is celebrated
people love to come and enjoy. Hotels are
packed to capacity and quite often it
happens that people don't even find a room
to stay. The reason for that is that not only people from all across the country come
to participate in this festival with the locals but also people from neighboring
countries like India come to Pakistan to take part in this colorful festival.
For the last few years more and more organizations are celebrating this festival as
commercial venture. This year the government has also jumped in to promote the
festival so as to promote the culture of Pakistan. It has been made a part of spring
festivities that continue for about one and a half month and includes fun fairs,
flower shows, food fairs and kite flying competitions.
Basant had created a business of Rs.2
to 3 billion in the province and
provided lot of opportunities to
common people and owners of
cottage industries in the country. To
some independent estimates overall
euphoria of Basant would generate
economic activities of Rs. 4.5 to 5 billion in the province in 2007.

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Pros and Cons of Basant

DARK SIDES OF BASANT

Like many of our rituals, its origins remain largely unknown to the majority of
people. But there is no denying that this is a dangerous activity. It causes severe
damage to life and property. Many lives are lost and the country suffers damages
going into hundreds of thousands of rupees every year in accidents related to it. A
few years ago three grid stations caught fire on this occasion because of short
circuits caused by metal wires used in kite flying.
Such a joyous festival has a dark side, as hospitals always are packed with kite
flyers who fell off roofs and children who were hit by cars as they ran down the
streets, their faces turned towards the sky to watch the kites. Quarters of the city
are plunged into darkness when razor-sharp kite cords rolled in powdered glass or
made of steel cut electricity wires. According to the officials of Lahore Electricity
Supply Company "If there are 50 one-hour breakdowns, it costs us 2.5 million
rupees (4300 dollars)

HAKEEKAT RAI:
If people ever do stop to think about how basant originated, they assume it was a
Hindu festival to mark the change of seasons. That Muslims should be
participating in a pagan celebration would be bad enough. But the reality is starker
than that. Are you ready for this? Here is an account of its origin from Dr. B.S.
Nijjar's book, "Punjab under the Later Mughals." According to him, when
Zakariya Khan (1707-1759) was the governor of Punjab, a Hindu of Sialkot, by
the name of Hakeekat Rai Bakhmal Puri spoke words of disrespect for the Prophet
Muhammad

and his daughter Fatima, Radi-Allahu anha. He was arrested and

sent to Lahore to await trial. The court, acting according to the law, gave him
capital punishment. The non-Muslim population was stirred to request Zakariya

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Khan to lift the death sentence given to Hakeekat Rai but he did not agree to their
request. Eventually the death penalty was carried out and the entire non-Muslim
population went into mourning.
As a tribute to the memory of this blasphemer, a wealthy Hindu, Kalu Ram
initiated the Basant 'mela' in (Marrhi) Kot Khwaja Saeed (Khoje Shahi) in Lahore.
(This place is now known as Baway di marrhi.) It is the last stop on the route of
Wagon no. 60 from Bhati Gate. Dr. B.S. Nijjar states in his book that the Basant
'mela' is celebrated in memory of Hakeekat Rai.

BRINGS SORROW
While many citizens of Pakistan's northern city of Lahore prepare to welcome the
spring season by celebrating the Basant festival, hundreds others throng the city
graveyards to mourn loved ones, especially kids, who lost their lives in past years
to razor-sharp kite-flying strings and stray bullets.
"I can never forget that moment when I was
carrying my son soaked in his own blood,"
Sulieman, a father who lost his son last year,
net fighting back his tears. I was crying and
trying to stop the vehicles to take him to the
hospital," he recalled horrifying moments still
vivid in his memory.
His son, Javed who was only 6 when he died,
got his throat cut by a sharp kite-flying string
on February 7, 2006.

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He was sitting in front of his father on a motorbike when a stray razor-sharp string
cut his throat leaving him in a pool of blood. Sulieman, a sales agent by
profession, rushed him to a nearby hospital, where he breathed his last.
For the grieving parents, spring stocks nothing except bitter memories.
I didn't know what to do. I was just praying for my child's life as the doctors kept
solacing me," said Sulieman. My life plunged into darkness when doctors told me
that Javed was no more. I didn't know how to tell his mother."
Normal kite-flying had been the only event of Basant festival till six years back,
but the induction of razor-sharp string,
and contest of aerial firing on the
rooftops have resulted in deaths of
hundreds of citizens, mostly children.
Many kite-flyers use metal and other
banned string, which not only result in
throat-cutting incidents but also cause
massive power breakdowns in the city for various days.
According to a recent survey conducted by Gallop Pakistan, one of the country's
leading polling groups, some 58 percent of Lahoriites want a total ban on kiteflying, while 24 percent others demand strict implementation of law, particularly
about use of metal and banned string and aerial firing.ubair Koal, a resident of
Lahore's old locality Mughlapura, says that with the beginning of February they
start taking precautionary measures to save lives instead of preparing to welcome
the spring. Till some years back, we all used to wait for Basant for enjoyment. But
currently, instead of enjoyment, we are more concerned about our lives and
lingering power breakdowns, caused by metal string.
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Pros and Cons of Basant

Recalling his memories, Zubair said Basant had been a simple and entertaining
festival.
There were no rooftop parties, mixed gatherings, dances of actresses and aerial
firing, he added.

NIGHTMARES:
Nowadays, vulgarity is being promoted in the name
of Basant. This is not basant. This is murder, said a
disgruntled Koal.Most of Lahoriites avoid traveling
on motorbikes during the days of basant fearing a
stray kite-flying string may cut their throats.
Koal said Basant had turned violent over the last
five-six

years

after

the

government

started

patronizing this festival and overlooking law

violation.
According to a recent survey conducted by Gallop Pakistan, one of the country's
leading polling groups, some 58 percent of Lahoriites want a total ban on kiteflying, while 24 percent others demand strict implementation of law, he insists. I
am not against this festival. In fact I had been a staunch participant but now I feel
that kite flying should be completely banned.
Taking notice of several deaths due to kite-flying string, the Supreme Court last
year banned the festival. However, the Punjab government has allowed Basant for
three days under the cover of a newly promulgated ordinance.

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Though, the government imposes a strict ban on aerial firing and use of banned
string, police appear to be helpless as the violators include high-power politicians,
government functionaries and other bigwigs
Somewhere beneath the thousands of multicolored kites that flash above the
rooftops in defiance of a government ban, Rizwan Ahmed is mourning the death of
his four-year-old son Shayan.
"You cannot imagine the horrible and tragic scene. My son's throat was completely
cut open," he says from his humble home in a suburb of Lahore, Pakistan's
teeming cultural hub and second largest city.
"But I hope the blood of my
son will save the lives of many
other innocent children."
Little Shayan was one of ten
people, mostly children, who
died last week during the
frenzied run-up to the spring
festival of Basant, their heads partly severed by glass-coated, steel or nylon kite
twine.
The cords are razor-sharp so they can slash the strings of rival kites during aerial
duels, but when they fall across roads they become "like cheese wire", according
to one policeman.

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Pros and Cons of Basant

Spurred by angry protests, the authorities shocked the country by outlawing kites
the day before the centuries-old rite and arresting more than 1 000 kite-flyers and
sellers.
Heavy-hearted socialites quickly cancelled fabulous parties in their fairy-lit
mansions, while corporate bashes on rooftops overlooking the red sandstone
Badshahi mosque and 16th century Lahore Fort were called off.
But late on Saturday night -- the climax of the festival -- as the police tired of
chasing through streets choked with exhaust fumes and firecracker smoke, rumors
of Basant's demise appeared premature.
White, moth-like kites began to fill the dark sky just before midnight, fleetingly lit
by giant spotlights, while jubilant cries of "bo kata!" [I cut it!] rang out above
pulsating bhangra music.
"Normally it's much better than this. But at least people are having a go now the
cops are in bed," said one middle-aged man, smiling as he wrestled with a kite
string -- illegally -- at one impromptu roof party.
A few hours of sleep later and kites colored red, yellow and blue were soaring
above the smog again on Sunday afternoon, before falling into roads and draping
themselves alarmingly across power lines.
The attempt to ban Basant went to the heart of 21st century Pakistan. The festival
exemplifies the fun loving yet traditional spirit of the country's most liberal city,
while its emergence in the last decade as a major tourist and commercial event
shows Pakistan's economy booming.

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Pros and Cons of Basant

Coca-Cola is the festival's major sponsor while even tiny companies print their
names on kites.
But the chaotic crackdown, the obstinacy of the flyers who refuse to use safe
string and the frequent power cuts caused by falling kites embody some of the key
problems in poor, military-ruled Pakistan.
Then, as usual in this Islamic republic of 150-million people, there is the religion
question. Basant has long been a target of fundamentalists who say the festival has
Hindu or pagan origins.
Laborites spoke of their sadness at both the unfortunate deaths and at the decision
to outlaw the event.
"I won't be flying any kites this Basant. To see ourselves responsible for killing
people and killing the sport we have followed so passionately is heartbreaking,"
said Ashaar Rehman, a prominent journalist.
Pakistan's Supreme Court outlawed kites in 2005, but the ban was lifted for 15
days for Basant at the request of the provincial government -- which then promptly
reinstated it last Friday.
Kamran Lashari, who as a former senior official in Lahore was largely responsible
for making Basant the big event it is today, said the solution was to ban the deadly
strings and to educate the public about the risks.
"The way is not to close it down but to strongly regulate it. It needs to be
protected, it's the only time that the old city becomes one family, from street boys

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Pros and Cons of Basant

to the multinationals," added Lashari, who now heads Islamabad's capital

development authority.
Kite-flyers said their proposals to the government for strict Basant rules had fallen
on deaf ears.
"There should be kite-flying zones for professionals. It is haphazard kite-flying
which is responsible for the killings," said Khawaja Nadeem Wyne, president of
the Kite Dealers' Association of Lahore.
Meanwhile the Pakistani authorities have a year to figure out how to keep the
festival going while saving the lives of people like 18-year-old Nadeem Pasha.
"He was riding his bike when the string slit his throat," his father Haji Sairaj Din
told Agence France-Presse. "The ban on kite-flying is a matter of satisfaction for
me and I will demand that the government bans it permanently".

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CONCLUSION
After reviewing the issues related to Basant Festivals I conclude that, the
celebration styles of Basant have been changed with the passage of time. Basant is
now used more as another means to show ones richness, influence, and might.
Overindulgent friends to relish the Basant craze people fly from, Islamabad,
Karachi and other cities of Pakistan especially to Lahore. There is loud music,
firing in the air, daylong parties on the occasion of Basant. Business executives,
deluxe hotel owners, organize grand parties and everyone who is anyone turns the
occasion into yet another display of wealth.
Our government spends millions of rupees to entertain foreign guests on Basant,
rather than spending it to improve literacy rate, inadequate medical facilities and
the provision of basic amenities to common people. Many foolish people use
illegal Copper, Nylon thread and Tundi [Strings] to loot the maximum kites. But
this nonsense act of few is damaging the national wealth and destroys the Powers
System of electricity. The provincial and city governments have turned a blind eye
towards violations of kite-flying code and firing incidents.
The people of Lahore made security measures for themselves and for there
families for Basant festival but besides all measures every year many people got
injured and lost there friends, children, or family members by fallen sharp glass
coated strings on them, by falling from rooftops and by accidents while catching
kites between the traffic.
It is true that every year Basant creates huge business, it grabs huge foreign
investment. But money is not every thing, money is not important then the life of
our citizens, the life our beloved ones

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Pros and Cons of Basant

REFERENCES:
Websites:
www.wikipedia.com
www.thingsasian.com
www.lahore.metblogs.com
www.islamonline.com
News Papers:
www.dawn.com
www.dailytimes.com
www.thenation.com.pk

THE END

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