Inappropriate times

For those who are in favour of holding basant festival with kite-flying as the main activity, it must be clear that it's not the right time for that. It's already hot and will get hotter day by day. The best time to celebrate this event would have been the last week of February or at the most the first week of March.

This might have been in the mind of the office-bearers of some Kite Lovers' Association who defied the official ban on this event last week and announced basant date on their own. It was another point that the call was not taken seriously by people who wanted to avoid confrontation with the law enforcing authorities.

Those associated with the business of kite and string-making say they need at least two to three weeks to complete orders in case an official date for basant is announced. This is something that does not seem to happen at least this year. So the best option for the entertainment hungry Lahorites and their guests from other parts of the country is to visit Jilani Park (Old Race Course Park), see different stalls set up there and eat traditional food to their heart's content. Of course they can also get instant visual relief by having a look at the colourful flowers of different genres studded across different smaller gardens in that very park. In short, Jashn-e-Baharan is there to enjoy but sans its biggest attraction -- kite-flying.

And finally a word on why the formula used last year cannot be employed this time. Last year kite-flying was allowed for just one night, subject to several conditions. The person whose rooftop was supposed to be used for kite-flying had to register himself with the concerned police station and the local government representative of his area. The policemen would patrol different streets of the city and arrest the person on whose rooftop unlawful activities like aerial firing, use of metal string etc were noticed. Police vehicles with wooden ladders protruding from the rear were also a common sight. These ladders would help policemen scale walls of the houses of violators and provide them 'justice at their doorstep'.

This exercise cannot be repeated this time. First, for the reason that the local government authorities are more concerned about their fate (likely to be sealed by PML-N in Punjab) than the security of the citizens. Second, the police are no more willing to patrol streets. The best rather only option left for them is to sit inside their fortified offices or at a safe distance from barricades -- beyond the reach of potential bombers.

--S. Irfan Ahmed

Too early to talk of celebration

The thought of holding basant in Lahore some time in April seems preposterous to me. It just does not make any sense. Of course this year there were some valid reasons -- the assassination of Benazir followed by a bomb blast in Lahore followed by election followed by more bomb blasts in Lahore -- precluded the holding of basant at its usual time. Even today many of the Lahoris feel it's too early to talk of celebration after the twin blasts that shook the city.

Objective realities apart, I have serious problems with basant the way it is proposed to be held and especially how it was celebrated last year. Basant which has always been the culmination or at least the high point of the kite-flying season and activity is not so anymore. The prerogative of flying kites having been taken away from them, an announcement of basant from above is now imposed on the people and they are supposed to follow it. The spontaneity and fun of an activity that existed in the domain of city's culture has been taken away by force and has ended up in the legal domain. The poor man has been robbed of his sport.

The government thought this was the easy way out. I think the government ought to have cracked down on the producers of the lethal chemical coated Dor instead.

Before anything else, we need our kite flying back and then the people's festival of course.

--Farah Zia

A personal odyssey

Watching The Kite Runner on television yesterday made me sad for various reasons; one of these is the fact that the movie was set in Afghanistan and no one in our country has ever bothered to even touch upon this subject.

It's once again that time of the year when the arrival of spring brings with it the much-awaited basant. At the same time like every year the debate about the festival starts roaring from all quarters. Should it be celebrated or not? Is it Islamic or unIslamic? Of course that's how we usually restrict ourselves in debates more like "you are with us or against us."

For me basant is the only 'cultural' event left in our country which provides people an avenue for entertainment. It brings life, colour and of course loads of investment. Basant has formed its own separate entity. It's not only kite flying but the food, music and Jashne Baharan festivals that add to the festivity at large.

I have never understood what the issue is with basant being celebrated. The accidents (use of tandi or chemical twine) that take place do give a bad taste and these are condemnable without any doubt but how can you give a final word on it saying, No! it should not be celebrated.

--Naila Inayat

Kite-flying is fun

I as a young kid was never interested in kite flying. Give me a book or let me play a computer game and I would be content. I remember endless basants where I would either get extremely bored on somebody's 'chhat' or stay the whole day inside and read with the window open because the electricity would play peek a boo every five seconds.

A little older, I would sometimes (rarely) try my hand at kite flying with my younger cousin. To be honest, a hot summer day with the sound of a lonely yellow kite fluttering in the bright blue sky was kind of relaxing; I had associated this feeling of calmness, as if one was playing with the wind.

Then there was the time in my early twenties when one of my closest friend would have a night basant party at his place every year. So the whole night would be spent meeting people, talking, laughing, smoking away, fixing the lights, hooking up the stereo system, enjoying other people flying kites, eating delicious goodies his mother would make, sleeping at dawn and waking up the other morning.

That was fun.

If you're asking me if we should still celebrate basant, then yes with a few exceptions. Stop using dangerous chemical materials on the 'dors,' Do something so that motorcyclists don't get injured and stop falling off rooftops and I'll say yes. With all the strange things that keep happening that continue to make our faces grimmer, I still want to see some kid running after a kite, his eyes glowing, his lips smiling.

Wouldn't you?

--Ali Sultan

There seem to be no chance of flying kite in the present circumstances as the law opposes this sport now. It has remained popular among the masses for centuries but in the last few years the city has been shaken by the too many accidents and deaths because of chemical coated kite-strings.

While the kite lovers argue that the string makers should be checked instead of putting ban on the sport, the truth is that it is very difficult to check the string manufacturers because they are scattered all over the city -- also not registered.

Unless the government evolves a mechanism which ensures safety of lives, the ban on the sport better stay and let the people live in peace. All those who campaign that this sport be allowed, should help the government find ways to ensure safety.

The argument that it has rendered many people jobless, is an old one now. Layoffs in the different industries and government sector is a reality people are facing for a decade now in this country.

What matters in the first place is taking responsibility for our actions. We do not live in a vacuum. At least no one will die of kite-strings if we do not fly kites. --Saadia Salahuddin

Give them a 'sports ground'!

There's always a romance attached to a festival -- religious or otherwise -- that involves crowds and crowds of happy people, dressed up in their Sunday's best and getting together for a delightful occasion-specific feast and, of course, some sort of merry-making. It's about a unity of happiness that one can sense in the air -- you just can't miss it, even if you shut yourself indoors and switch on the telly or talk to a friend on the cell. You don't even have to step out in the street to get the feel of it. Basant one always looked forward to as one such 'happy' festival.

It used to be about cousins coming down to (the Basant-stricken!) Lahore (of course) from outside, wanting to catch up on the fun. It was about going shopping for the best possible kite-flying gear in town. They came in all shapes, colours and sizes but, yes, the colour code for dress was specific -- it had to be from the family of orange-yellow. Then, it was about aunts in the house putting together qeemay walay naan that would be served steaming hot with fresh kunday ki dahi on the spacious balcony where the uncles and the juniors geared up for an exciting kite-fighting match with the neighbours. It'd be all eyes on the skies.

Of course, interior city was always a favourite. And, a 'privileged' few among us would seize any opportunity to head out to some hotel rooftop, Evernew Studios' large terraces or Haveli Baroodkhana, if you were well-connected enough.

It was like a day-night gaming match, for kite-lovers. Sadly, however, in the last few years, the reality of the festival seems to have changed. Today, unfortunately, Basant is associated with human casualties rather than the kites going 'kata'. All of which makes one think that perhaps it should be limited to places that are 'space-protected' -- vast, open grounds and even large, commodious hotel rooftops. Proper places should be mapped out for the revelers in the Walled City, too. The sport should be treated as a 'sport' and played 'not just anywhere' but at the 'sports ground' only!

-- Usman Ghafoor

• Spring Flower Show at Bagh-e-Jinnah Open Air Theatre from Tuesday, March 25 to April 7 from 8am to 5pm

• Jashan-e-Baharan: Spring Festival at Race Course Park till March 31. Timings: 8am to 11pm.

• National Folk Puppet Festival at Museum of Puppetry organised by Rafi Peer Theatre Workshop & The Royal Norwegian Embassy till March 25. Timings: 9am-9pm.

• Seminar on Human Rights at the HRCP Auditorium, 107 Tipu Block, Garden Town, today at 3pm. The topic is 'Do countries sell their own people? Civil liberties in the age of the War on Terror'. Time: 3pm. The seminar will be preceded by a screening of the documentary 'Missing in Pakistan'. (Refer to http://missinginpakistan.wordpress.com for details)

• LEAF Discourse on Bartaaniya Ki Adbi Saer at Model Town Library on Thursday, March 27 at 6pm.

• Bio Forum Exhibition: Punjab University's Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology (CEMB) plans a four-day Bio-Forum Exhibition from March 25-28 in which 25 academia and 23 industry exhibits would be showcased.

• Second International Conference on Electrical Engineering (ICEE) from Tuesday, Mar 25 to Wed, Mar 26 at the Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Engineering & Technology.

• 15th HVACR EXPO / Conference at Expo Centre Fortress Stadium on March 27, Thursday at 8am.

Security situation in the city has never been up to the mark but the need to improve it was never felt as seriously as it is being today. This does not mean that the state has suddenly realised its prime responsibility to ensure safety of its citizens. In fact extraordinary efforts are being made at this time to protect VIPs and offices of law enforcing and security agencies that have recently emerged as vulnerable targets of terrorists.

There is no denying the fact that all of them have to increase their security but others believe that it should not be at the cost of the security and well being of ordinary citizens. A major problem being faced by people is that it has become next to impossible for them to visit government offices to get some job done or file their complaints.

Ahmed Raza, a resident of Northern Lahore, tells TNS that many complainants are being denied entry to visit police stations, secretariat, offices of the district government and the central police office. Previously people would walk into these offices and meet the concerned official after a little wait but now they have to pass through a long and complex procedure.

He says now the time dedicated for public dealing has been reduced to bare minimum. When people come they have to stand in long queues, undergo body search and enter personal details in the official registers, he says. "That's why only a small fraction of people in the queue are able to see the concerned officials during this bracket of time. The others are asked to come the next day."

Inspector Babar Ali, a police officer in investigation wing, tells TNS that all these measures are being taken on the suggestions of security experts and senior most officials. He says it is not true that police are not protecting the citizens and have confined themselves to police stations and other secure buildings. The said steps are taken keeping in view the modus operandi of the suicide bombers who played havoc with the lives of innocent people in Lahore.

About the specific instructions received in this respect he says all sensitive offices have been asked to put barriers at a distance from the main building, make the approaching vehicles ply on a zig zag path, build cement bunkers, set up police posts and install security cameras.

Babar says based on the experiences of the past it has been strongly suggested that multiple security cameras, both close and broad view, should be affixed at these spots. These cameras shall be linked with control rooms where the footage can be seen in real time and recorded as well, he adds. Many a time cameras are destroyed in the blast along with the footage recorded by them.

Another development in this direction has been the realisation on part of law enforcing authorities that they must shift their offices from residential areas. Residents of Model Town have taken the lead in this respect by raising the issue and pressurising Model Town Society (MTS) office-bearers to ask such offices to move from there.

MTS President Colonel (retd) Tahir Kardar says they have increased security in Model Town and installed a sufficient number of close circuit unit (CCU) cameras at various points in the society. He says many residents of the society asked him to take the matter to the district nazim and make it binding on the residents not to give their houses on rent to government departments. Fortunately, law enforcement agencies have confirmed that they will be moving from here within a couple of weeks, he adds.

Presence of these offices in MTS came to limelight when media reported it was the office of a security agency that was the real target of suicide bombers instead of the advertising agency which was destroyed in the blast. There is a strong possibility that the security agency was carrying out investigations into the earlier suicide blasts in Lahore.

Tayyaba Azeem, a mother of two school-going children, tells TNS that all the schools near sensitive government buildings should be moved to avoid any mishap. This, she says, is imperative for the reason that terrorists may hit such buildings in case they find it difficult to hit their real targets. "This is exactly what happened in Model Town. They blew up the advertising agency in frustration, on failure to ram into their real target," she adds.

email: shahzada.irfan@gmail.com

The 'miraculous' development under General Musharraf has left a lot to be desired. Everyday, we hear the government's spin doctors giving mind-boggling figures about the economy to impress the Pakistani public. However, which class has benefited from this benevolence and who are the ones completely ignored?

While a select class has enjoyed the fruits of the economic growth, with a boom in real estate and new shining cars rolling on the streets, the vast majority of Pakistanis have been left behind this boom. Yet, the government and the elite circles remain oblivious of their state. In fact, many find it almost impossible to sustain themselves and their families in the wake of the massive price hike. This disparity has divided our society in every imaginable way:

The recent 'All-Pakistan (Educational) Olympiad' held at a local university is an example of these immense contradictions and antagonisms building up in our society. The glamour and vibrancy at the event did not reflect a State where education remains a distant desire for many. The optimism and vibrancy of the students was noteworthy, but the use of the phrase 'All-Pakistan' bothered me. As young kids came out of their expensive cars, listening to latest US songs, I wondered if this was the 'All-Pakistan' youth.

When members of the elite use the term 'All-Pakistan', they simply throw out the 'lesser' beings out of the equation that constitutes Pakistan. Where is the 'Pakistani youth' that walks 5 miles to get to school, whether it's freezing or burning? Where is the 'Pakistani youth' that works for more than twelve hours a day to earn a dollar so that they can keep the blood flowing through their veins? Where are the Pakistani youngsters who are forced to abandon their desire to become engineers, doctors or lawyers, not because they lack the intelligence and the commitment, but because they lack the financial resources to buy their dreams?

This disparity not only persists in the education sector, but is also becoming nakedly present throughout the city of the Lahore. The Mercedes walas, the rickshaw walas and the Tangey walas are all on the same roads. Streets with the most expensive set of restaurants are separated from the alleys with restaurants for the working class. The best parks, playgrounds and clubs are designated for the elite and their families while the untouchables are expected to enjoy life without any of these incentives. The rich prefer to keep their entertainment away from the underprivileged and in this, they succeed everyday.

The most striking part of this gross disparity are the housing societies like Defence, Model Town, Gulberg etc, which are home to the privileged in Lahore. However, right next to each of these societies lie vast lands inhabited by the working class who usually provide labour for the elite communities. Yet, these societies have craftfully been made invisible from the eyes of the elite. How many of us living in Defence have been to surrounding villages or the narrow lanes around Gulberg and Model Town? If we bother to leave our comfort zones and look at Lahore through these narrow, dirty lanes, we will fully comprehend the class divide within our beloved city. For now, these lanes exist as a shameful reminder of our failure to achieve some semblance of equality, for all those who bother to view them.

Then there are those exotic homes built in the posh localities of Lahore. In a place where the vast majority live under $5 a day, these huge palaces depict a different world. They stand to ridicule all claims of equality by the government as every brick of these buildings mocks the poverty of those who have been unable to gain a shelter for themselves. Their mere existence is testimony to the growing antagonisms in our society.

The luxurious wedding ceremonies of the elite are also a little painful. They are held at the most expensive locations with extravagant preparations for singing, dancing (sometimes by bollywood stars!) and other such 'necessities' for the ceremony. These lavish ceremonies are a way for parents of the young couples to show their love and support for their future life. In the same city, we have parents who labour all day to ensure the survival of their beloved children. When they pass by such lavish ceremonies, surely they feel humiliated at being unable to provide an inch of these facilities to their children, despite their hard work and affection towards the children. These elitist weddings continue, mocking all those who cannot remotely imagine anything like that for themselves or their loved ones.

Considering this divide growing in our society, the emergence of 'gated' communities should not come as a surprise for any of us. All the posh areas have security checkpoints, an act that aims at physically keeping the poor outside the elites' domain. After, 9 pm, Lahore seems like a no entry zone with security guards on the streets and patrol vans roaming around the city. International 'Homeland Security' agencies have stepped in to protect rich Lahoris from the poor ones. It is another innovative way for International institutions to make a buck out of our shameless divide.

People talk about protesting against the obscenity of the cartoons published in Denmark. Don't they see the obscenity depicted by these tall buildings when millions remain homeless in our nation? Where millions cannot afford basic education and healthcare while a select few enjoy everything in abundance. Does this disparity not seem disgustingly vulgar and provide a reason enough for protest? We need to get our priorities straight.

The next government should not bother us with complicated figures from foreign trained economists. What we require is a reduction in price hike, increase in job opportunities and provision of basic necessities. The word 'development' should not merely reflect the increase in the wealth of the elite. We need 'people's' development where the lives of ordinary people can improve and the alarming class gap can be reduced. If these class antagonisms are not checked, our society will further plunge into chaos and anarchy.

1. Don't see the VVIPs.

2. Work from home.

3. Migrate to village

4. Avoid brush with wierd looking people.

5. Don't talk to strangers.

6. Clean public places.

7. Avoid crowded places

8. Farmhouses are safe.

9. Don't give ride to strangers

10. Don't call back at unknown numbers

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'top ten food in the walled city'