Ban 'manjha' across India

Kite flying has become a worryingly dangerous pastime with the kite thread or manjha causing injuries to and deaths of humans as well as birds

Ruskin Bond’s short story The Kitemaker may have romanticised kite flying as the sport of the kings, a noble pastime where grown men fly kites and great battles fought with the defeated kite floating away into the blue unknown.

But sadly, kite flying has become a worryingly dangerous pastime with the kite thread or manjha (string coated with glass and metal powder) causing injuries to and deaths of humans as well as birds.

Recently, a 48-year-old man on a two-wheeler in Bengaluru sustained serious injuries after a kite thread got entangled around his neck. Unable to stop his two-wheeler immediately, he put his left hand on the string and tried to pull it away which badly injured his two fingers. A video of the man speaking from his hospital bed that went viral was horrifying.

Another shocking case in Delhi was that of a 28-year-old engineer who died after his throat was slit by a kite string while he was riding a scooter with two of his sisters.

One can cite several other cases of injuries and deaths caused by the deadly manjha but what is more shocking than these cases is the apathy of the powers-that-be to put an end to the dangers caused by irresponsible kite flying.

Year after year, injuries and deaths are reported and cases are registered under Section 336 or 337 (act endangering life or personal safety of others) of the Indian Penal Code against “unknown persons” according to police and media reports.

It was the public uproar after the deaths of two children in 2016 in Delhi due to the manjha that prompted the capital’s government to ban the production, storage and sale of metal or glass-coated kite threads.

Then in 2017, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) directed state governments to enforce its directive banning ‘Chinese manjha’ (glass-coated nylon or synthetic thread) the string used in flying kites.

The sale and purchase of this manjha are punishable with up to five years of jail or a fine of up to Rs 1 lakh or both. Cops have been authorised to take action against sellers and buyers.

In the battle of kites, one of the strings gets severed, sending it down with the kite far from the kite flyers. Often, it ends up entangling an unsuspecting pedestrian or two-wheeler rider’s neck causing injury or death. Since it is difficult to trace the kite flyers, they get away scotfree. By the time the injured seek treatment and complain to the police, it is too late to trace the culprits.

Most of the injuries are of a minor nature and go unreported. Many youngsters risk life and limb chasing severed kites dodging traffic dangerously and jumping across walls or trees or tripping from terraces while flying kites.

Equally dreadful is when kite strings injure and kill birds. A large number of severed kite strings end up on trees or electric wires and frequently trap birds who suffer silently till they are rescued or succumb to injuries.

Every year, PETA receives thousands of calls regarding injuries to birds due to kite strings.

Moreover, metal-coated kite strings can be dangerous if flown near electric installations and overhead cables causing fire and outages due to short circuits. There have been many cases of people getting electrocuted after kite strings get tangled in power cables. In July, an eight-year-old boy in Bengaluru was burnt to death after being electrocuted while flying a kite.

While a strict and complete ban on manjha is a must, banning it in just a few states is no solution; it has to be banned across India. It is also imperative that police conduct random checks regularly where kite flying takes place to examine the threads used. Surprise checks must be conducted at shops that sell kites and threads. Stringent punishment must be meted out to the offenders. The public also has a role to play in combating this menace. Whenever they see or hear of a kite thread injury or death, they must report it to the police. Parents must counsel children on how to fly kites safely and responsibly. Organisations must coordinate with the police and others to run campaigns to educate people on the dangers of using manjha.

Ahead of another Independence Day and festivals such as Makara Sankranti and Baisakhi, it is hoped that the tradition of kite flying remains a pleasurable, yet safe activity.