Defying law & logic, Chinese manjha thrives

A chilling video from Bidar district in Karnataka on Wednesday captures the horror of what a banned kite string can do: Sanjukumar Hosamani (48) was riding his motorcycle when a taut nylon kite thread across the road slit his neck. By the time medical help arrived, he was dead. Poorly enforced regulations turn festive traditions into fatal hazards every year across the country: lives lost, birds mutilated, animals injured and administrations scrambling for damage control. In Punjab, district authorities have reiterated that the manufacture, sale, storage and use of synthetic kite string are illegal. They have even sought public cooperation, while police claim to have netted vendors. Yet manufacturers and suppliers evade arrest and the string remains freely available, both offline and online. The result: razor-sharp threads slicing throats of unsuspecting motorcyclists, injuring children and killing birds in large numbers.

The menace thrives because enforcement is episodic and reactive. Crackdowns peak around festivals, then fade. Vendors reappear, penalties remain modest and prosecutions rarely reach their logical end. Worse, social acceptance of the banned string continues. Parents allow children to use it, organisers look the other way and consumers treat prohibition as advisory rather than binding.

This is not merely a law-and-order issue. Plastic manjha is an environmental hazard — non-biodegradable, persistent and destructive to ecosystems. Courts have repeatedly described it as a “man-made weapon”. Yet responsibility is diffused across departments, allowing accountability to slip through the cracks. The ban must be backed by year-round surveillance, tougher criminal liability for manufacturers and sellers and strict action against parents and event organisers who encourage its use. Online marketplaces, too, must be held accountable for listings disguised under misleading labels. Until enforcement becomes consistent and deterrent, the skies will remain deadly.