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Pakistan_Chalo
This is also for people who have a desire to go back and do something for their or their parents homeland.
Our aim would be to creat a network of dedicated professionals and share the best practices & experiences!!
Everyone is welcome to join!!
Some of the glaring issues Pakistan is facing are:
- Economic
- Literacy (Education)
- Social
- Cultural Identity
- Lack of Leadership
- Healthcare
....the list is too long! :)
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has added a new journalEvery year in early spring, thousands upon thousands of people descend on Lahore (also popularly referred to as 'the cultural capital of Pakistan' for Basant. Basant, the annual kite flying festival, continues to grow in popularity every year. It is a major tourist attraction and is a National holiday for locals. Shops start stocking kites, kite ropes, fireworks, horns, whistles and all manner of related materials as people, young and old, gather in parks and on rooftops to spend the day flying kites. Much of the enjoyment lies in the competitiveness and the aim of all is to catch drifting and stray kites by cutting the cord with one's own kite cord and running to retrieve the loot of someone else's kite.
In recent years some kite strings have been coated in a glass fibre which cuts the strings of other kites more easily however this cheating tactic has it's consequences, if the string should tangle around someone's neck or even skim past it, injuries and fatalities are expected. This year a ban was put on kite flying due to safety issues arising from past injuries, the ban was lifted due to popular demand and size restrictions were subsequently imposed for kites. Also a licence fee needed to be paid to trade kites and hold Basant parties.
It is more and more apparent this year that there is becoming a greater divide between those who love and adore Basant and those who are trying to stop it on grounds of safety. It has also sparked some religious debates wih scholars and laymen suggesting that Kite flying has roots with pagan rituals (for example kites were flown in ancient China to clear evil spirits from the skies).
I became interested myself as to know where Basant had sprung from but many people don't know. I was relayed the following story however and have found a rendition in 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 Khan to lift the death sentence given to Hakeekat Rai but he did not accede 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 prosperous 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 on Page no. 279 of his book that the Basant 'mela' is celebrated in memory of Hakeekat Rai'.
I personally do not believe that anyone flying a kite in Pakistan today is intentionally commemorating the memory of the above mentioned blasphemer. Many of those who fly kites are not even the least bit mindful of this. Although (to me) it would be ludicrous to suggest that merely flying a kite could be considered a sin, I can understand what some advocates of banning Basant might be concerned about with the increasing zealousness of participants during basant leading to injuries and fatalities... May Allah forgive us for the sins we commit, those that we commit in ignorance and those we commit with full knowledge and guide us to the right path in all things - Ameen).
Historically kites have been useful as a means of communication and some armies even took instruction from kites in order to advance troops or indeed even retreat, they were intrinsic parts of army strategy and in some instances the only means of communication on the field. Kites today tend to be flown all over the world for recreation and leisure and just for the fun of it, this is what the younger generations in Pakistan have to say to those who oppose Basant on religious grounds - 'It's just a bit of fun!
The fact remains that Basant is something unique to Pakistan (though other kite festivals do exist worldwide) and it is extremely popular with a great majority of people there. I personally did not know what to expect but was bowled over by the preparations and way in which Basant has become such a significant occasion.
Lahore has never looked so beautiful to me as it did now. The streets and houses were illuminated and although Lahore is never shy of activity, it seemed to intensify to a point where, whether you like it or not, the sense of excitement reaches out and embraces you.
I celebrated Basant on a rooftop in Krishanagar one of the oldest and most historical parts of Lahore where I stayed on the roof all day flying and cutting kites (and my fingers!), drinking cool drinks, snacks and icecream and admiring all the fluttering rainbows in the overcast sky. One of the best things about Basant is that families and friends come to spend the holiday together. I ended my evening with a huge family meal which was just perfect. As I've never before experienced Basant prior to this, it did thrill me and, it will no doubt remain one of my most enduring memories of my 2007 trip to Pakistan.
(Also published in my Journal no~130 and World Travel Village)