Basant Should Not Be Banned

Basalt should be allowed to celebrate as it has now become a part of our peoples culture, heritage and lifestyle and nobody has a right to ban them. Basalt is deeply rooted in peoples psyche and lifestyle. Most the public are not only against the ban on Basalt but also are offended by this government decision. Main E]AZ, acting district coordination officer during the Decos absence said, Basalt should not be banned because It attracts people from all over the world and is a cultural event. He lamented about grave problems caused by Basalt but said that the public was unwilling to support a ban (All 7). Basalt has been in our tradition from a long time and has become a custom and very important part of our lives. But there are some people especially elisions ones who raise the point of Basalt being a Hindu festival and demand a ban on it. Actually this is not the case; this is Just wrong accusation made by these people to show their importance in the community. The Hindu festival which these people refer is Vacant Panoramic which is also called Basalt. Vacant Panoramic is the Hindu festival that highlights the advent of spring. It is a Hindu festival celebrating the glory of Shirtwaist, the goddess of knowledge, music and art. In India particularly Indian Bengal, during this festival children are taught to write their first words; Brahmins are fed; ancestors worship (Pit-tartan) Is performed; the god of love Kamikaze Is worshipped ( Manhood). The festival Hindu celebrates only Limits to worshipping, wearing same color clothes and meeting each other. There Is no sign of kite flying In their festival.So our tradition Is different from theirs. This means that to say this festival Is UN-locals Is a wrong statement. Basalt Is a huge and a big festival which Is recognized all over the world. It Is a sport which mainly exists In Pakistan but Is well known to all the rest of the world. It Is a colorful festival consisting not only of tie flying but also of music. People gather together to enjoy and celebrate the arrival of spring. Basalt is also a way of attracting tourists not only national but also international.According to the newspaper reporter, Hasty Sadder, It attracts tourists, not just locally but from all over the world (7). Because of the uniqueness of Basalt, Tourism Development Corporation of Punjab, the Basalt Kite Festival, held in Lahore, has become such a major tourist attraction that people flock from countries worldwide to participate in this unique occasion. The increase in tourism due to Basalt in turn boosts the economy of Pakistan. It provides different sources of income to the country; through hotels, restaurant and others ways.Another reason why Basalt should not be banned is the amount of revenue generated from it is enormous. There are several ways in which revenue is generated during the Basalt. Thousands of people travel and visit Pakistan to Join in the festival. The revenue from the hotels greatly increases during Basalt because of the increased tourists. Kite flying is not the only way of generating revenue. During the festival a lot of events sake place such as musical events and food streets are Jammed packed with people. The intense economic activity that went with Basalt (trade, travel, hotel, tourism, shopping, etc. ) was touching the $ 250 million mark ? not bad, for a week-long celebration. To top it off various other quality festivals started around the Basalt bonanza (notably the music conference and the international drama and puppet festival) (Mira 3). However, there is some opposition and criticism about the Basalt being not profitable, rather resulting in losses due to damages done on the electric wires and poles.According to All Prevail, a newspaper reporter, Basalt also faced opposition from Water and Power Development Authority (WPAD) and its distribution companies mainly the Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESSON) and Granular Electric Power Company (COP) as kite flying also resulted in frequent power tripping besides damaging the sensitive installations of WPAD and its companies. The main cause of this power failure is the use of metallic or chemical- coated string. These strings, when comes contact with electric wires causes the wire to tear and power tripping.But this is a problem which can be easily resolved. By introducing and properly implementing a law which impose a ban on the use of such types of strings can result in overcoming this power failure and claims made by these companies. Kite flying business is a very large one. The industry related to it is very large with a very large market. About a week or two before the Basalt, shopkeeper starts to make preparations of selling kites and strings. Huge numbers of shops are set up and people invest millions of rupees in the trade. Many people are employed in the factories in which kites and strings are made. String and kite makers are irking overtime on roadsides and in small factories in places like Shadier, Murdered, Buchannan, Chair and Shadbush. Kite making has become a sort of cottage industry involving even women and children the year round (Hanoi). So if Basalt is banned, thousands of workers will get unemployed. There would be no source of income for such families and they would be in a very bad condition. For example, during the Basalt the owners of the previously abandoned and dilapidated houses in Glissandos food street become rich overnight as many multi-national companies hustle to rent their rooftops for the occasion.The ban on Basalt would affect them along with other in the kite flying business very roughly. The main incidents that lead to the ban on Basalt were the use of the metallic and chemical- coated strings. Basalt was officially banned in 2005 when a great deal of people in various cities including Rawlins lost their lives due to metallic or chemical-coated issue regarding the ban was the damages that these razor-sharp strings caused. Many people lost lives by getting their neck cut by strings while driving motorcycles or walking. But banning is not the solution. Government should restrict the use of these types of strings.Also during these two days of kite flying, government should set a curfew on the people walking and driving motorcycles because most of the accidents happen to them. The government should alternatively provide free public bus transport during these days to accommodate people who want to travel. In conclusion, Basalt should not be banned as it creates revenue for a country and most importantly is a part of our culture. To ban Basalt is Just like erasing an integral part our culture which is unacceptable. Yes, there have been many unfortunate incidents in the recent past but banning Basalt because of them is not the solution.For example, no government has banned flying of aircraft because some planes have crashed in the long history. They rather focused on making flying a safer experience. Likewise, the government should focus on making this festival safer by reducing loss to life and property to minimum and nil if possible. Designated grounds should have been prepared for flying kites and citizens who wish to participate in the activity should have been facilitated to do so in safety in these designated areas. Banning a festival which was like the smile of a child in spirit is too harsh a step ?akin to rendering the city soulless (Sadder 7).