Basant death count

Hangout GupShup Cafe
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In light of the annual fatalities due to Basant, I though I’d open a thread to keep track of the latest fatalities resulting from this festival.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2005-02/07/content_415871.htm

20 dead, including 8 children.

A four year-old girl was killed when a stray string slit open her throat.

Seven persons were crushed to death while trying to catch stray kites

Six others died after falling from rooftop of their houses

Two teenage boys died after being hit by stray bullets in two different incidents

A 7-year old boy was electrocuted.

More than 500 injuries, too.

[thumb=H]basant6283_2446837.JPG[/thumb] Mohammad Asharf, front, who was seriously injured when specially reinforced kite string cut his throat while he was riding on a motorbike, is attended by his brother at a local hospital in Lahore, Pakistan on Sunday, Feb. 6, 2005

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Re: Basant death count

You know, its one thing to be an idiot and get yourself killed or maimed.

What crime did the innocents commit though..and who's hands is their blood on.

Carry on with your festivities folks...Allah will question you about them one day.

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Re: Basant death count

so it is the fault of basant...

Dil Diya Dehleez on Hum TV
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Re: Basant death count

^ Not really Basant as such. But the hype around it triggers these sad incidents.

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Re: Basant death count

:(

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Re: Basant death count

pardon my naivety, people actually die during a kite festival? Thats awful

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Re: Basant death count

ok...so if people die during Hajj stampede - people should stop performing Hajj?

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Re: Basant death count

^ you can't compare Hajj to flying kites...or can you?

ok, someone educate me regarding this kite stuff....is it religious or cultural?

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Re: Basant death count

nothing religious about kite flying..its purely cultural....

AQ
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Re: Basant death count

^ it is NOT religious.

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Re: Basant death count

it is purely cultural...

these boring avatars
these boring avatars
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Re: Basant death count

It’s like tradition of bull running in Spain. Dangerous but a must thing.

these boring avatars
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Re: Basant death count

ok, so far iv learnt that its definately not religious..thank goodness, im actually afraid of kites.

So how is it cultural? why do they do it? who made it a tradition?

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Re: Basant death count

^
Basant had its beginnings as a Hindu festival but as different religions came to India they participated in it as well. Basant is the coming of spring (Vasant Panchami), so somehow kite flying symbolize the coming of spring along with the blooming of the yellow mustard flowers, etc..

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Re: Basant death count

^really? thats actually quite interesting...

erm, so you say when different religions came to India they took part, why did they carry on the tradition when Pakistan became an independent country if it wasnt in fact an Islamic/Pakistani tradition to begin with.

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Re: Basant death count

i so knew some one was going to drag hajj into it. no one stops people from flying kites, just dont be a moron doing it.the string that slit has metal in it now sh!t heads that use it need to use the proper one.that are not dangerous
people who risk their lives catching kites , dont really respect their lives or just like risky stuff?
the entire business really should be in grounds or parks thats been said for i dont know ages not that paksitanis listen to it, so who can stop them if they wanna die?

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Re: Basant death count

Well from what little I know, Basant was popularized by the sufis and then by the mughal period it was a norm, and they introduced the concept of kites into basant. There have been fatwas issued as basant being haraam and a petiton introduced in the Lahore High court to ban it, but it was thrown out.

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Re: Basant death count

participate in non islamic events and such happenings will occur.

these boring avatars
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Re: Basant death count

Inna lillah wa inna alehe rajeoon.

May Allah forgive the dead and give speedy recovery to the injured. ameen.

***Please also remember those who died celeberating Independance day of Pakistan on 14th august in your prayers. They were in similar number :frowning: **

http://www.dawn.com/2004/08/17/ed.htm

**Many of the 18 deaths in Lahore on Independence Day could have been prevented if reckless driving were not the order of the day. Thirteen of the victims - all aged between 16 and 25 - died as a result of rash motorcycle driving, which has for some inexplicable reason become a common practice with the city’s youth as they partake in August 14 festivities.

Four others were crushed to death by speeding buses and vans; another woman was killed when she fell off the rooftop while hoisting a flag. Lahore hospitals also admitted some 200 people for treatment, including women and children, some of them having serious injuries. **

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Re: Basant death count

iv just googled it, loads of politics involved in flying a kite! it mentioned something about China and something to do with some dude in the 12th century mourning his nephews death…its all beyond me. I don’t understand this buisness of adopting other cultural traditions and making them your own, dont even get me started on celebrating Menhdi nights…