It’s deja vu,but with a difference

“Its a great pleasure to teach children the tricks of making a kite. On March 11,many of my friends and relatives died. My uncle’s family is still missing. I couldn’t touch the paper and bamboo sticks for a month. After that I made kites for tsunami-affected children of the nearby areas. Their smile and the sparkle in their eyes made my effort worth it,” Endo said.

He showed a big poster signed by him,Masatoshi Hayashizaki,Toshio Masago (both from Sendai),Sachiko Modegi and Masaaki Modegi (from Tokyo),which said in bold letters — Forward Together As One Japan/ We Will Never Forget Your Help/ Never Give Up. “After the Tsunami,India provided us a lot support and aid. We have come here to show our gratitude and that Japan has recovered from this crippling blow.”

Mitsuo Kawaguchi,the Consul-General of Japan of Kolkata,said,“Kites are a traditional means of recreation in both India and Japan. It is one of our common interests. Its good to see these children learning the art so keenly.” Kawaguchi roamed around handing the kids paper,gum and ribbons along with his wife.

According to Yojiro Tanaka,the director of Japanese Language and Studies at Japan Foundation,Delhi,this initiative was to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Indo-Japanese relations. “There have been kite workshops and festivals earlier too. But this time we brought these five to teach children here finer tricks of kite-making,” Tanaka said.

The children were ecstatic with their newly-learnt art. “It was great fun. I will go home,make more kites and shock my brothers,” Shashi Gupta,a student of St Lawrence,said.

For Mariko Khan,however,it was deja vu with a difference. “I have grown up seeing people toying with this art. Now I stay in Kolkata with my husband,who is an Indian. I could smell the sky of Tokyo when my 4-year-old son asked me to help him fly his new kite,” Mariko said,clutching on to her 18-month-old daughter.

On Thursday,some of the participants and kite enthusiasts from Kolkata and Mumbai went to Maidan to show off some of the best pieces in their armory. Though the five Japanese kite-makers left last night,the crowd gathered was treated to some colourful and high-soaring wonders made with cloth,paper and plastic. “I was here just to enjoy the warm sun on this chilly afternoon. Instead I was greeted with a huge snake-shaped kite,” Rajesh Kumar said. From snakes to eagles and dragons to doves,kites of different sizes,shapes and colours flooded the clear sky confusing birds,which flew around getting ready for an imminent turf war.