Chinese manja snips off desi challenger

The synthetic string coated with powdered glass or metal has cut short the lives of four Delhi residents over the past 25 days. Far away from the Capital, in Uttar Pradesh’s Bareilly, hub of the traditional cotton thread industry, the banned string is slicing away profit margins and snuffing out livelihoods

On the eve of India’s 76th Independence Day, 26-year-old Abhishek Kumar, who ran a tent business in Delhi, was heading to his home in Jyoti Colony on a scooter when a stray strand of Chinese manja, a synthetic string coated with powdered glass, slit his throat while crossing the Nathu Colony flyover. “Within seconds, blood started oozing from his neck and he fell off the vehicle. Passers-by rushed him to a hospital, where doctors gave him cardiopulmonary resuscitation, but he died,” said R. Sathiyasundaram, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Shahdara).

The incident in Shahdara’s Mansarovar Park area was the fourth death caused by the deadly string over the past 25 days in the Capital. The manja, which is widely used for kite-flying, has turned into a menace following the substitution of the traditional cotton thread with nylon or single plastic fibre string made of monofilament fishing lines. Though locally manufactured, it is dubbed Chinese manja purportedly because its main ingredient, a synthetic polymer called polypropylene, comes from China, and it is priced at just one-third of the rate of a cotton spool. The pervasive use of the string despite a National Green Tribunal (NGT) order in 2017 imposing a countrywide ban on its manufacture and sale is endangering human and animal lives in the city. The synthetic string is also non-biodegradable, making it an environmental hazard.

According to Delhi Police, in cases of death caused by manja, an FIR is registered under Section 304A (causing death by negligence) of the Indian Penal Code, but identifying the accused is a tough task. “We scan CCTV footage to ascertain where the string came from. In most instances, it is found dangling from a stray kite or a kite stuck on a tree or a pole,” a police officer says.

Doctors say once the synthetic string slits a person’s throat, the chances of survival depend on the amount of blood loss on the way to the hospital. Dr. Amardeep Singh, a surgeon who runs a clinic in Hari Nagar, says, “The carotid artery and jugular vein in the neck carry blood from the heart to the brain. Therefore, it is crucial to rush an injured person to hospital as soon as possible.” Once people with such serious injuries are brought to the emergency ward, Dr. Singh says, medical clamps are used to control the blood flow. However, the window to save the life of such patients is so small that by the time they are brought to the hospital, most of them are declared dead, he says.

According to Farhat Ul Ain, advocacy associate at People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India, the organisation’s helplines have been inundated with calls about birds and animals who have sustained injuries after getting entwined in manja. “In Delhi alone, we have received dozens of calls about injured birds this week, leading to the rescue of 14 pigeons, five kites, two crows and one barn owl. Many animals and birds succumb to their injuries too,” Ms. Ain says. Out of the 1,519 calls PETA received from across the country this year, nearly 650 were to report injuries and deaths caused by manja, she says.

The Chinese or nylon manja continues to give the desi or cotton manja a run for its money despite the ban and the deadly risk that it poses because it is the preferred choice of kite-flying enthusiasts in the city. The factory-scale manufacture of the manja, its durability, cheaper prices and the razor-sharp cord’s ability to cut through rival strings and emerge victorious in high-stakes duels make it a firm favourite. While the cotton thread too is coated with powdered granite and ceramic fragments, its sharpness is blunted when smeared with ‘masala’ — a thick paste of crushed rice, flour, kohl, psyllium, herbs and colouring agents. On August 5, the Delhi High Court dismissed a plea that sought a ban on storage, sale and flying of kites in the city but directed Delhi Police to ensure compliance of the NGT order banning the sale of synthetic manja.

The high quality cotton thread made by skilled artisans is popularly known as Bareilly manja after the city in Uttar Pradesh where it originates from. Tucked away in the narrow bylanes of the city is Hussainbagh, the manufacturing hub of the string, where an army of artisans sweat it out every morning, carrying forward the age-old tradition knowing fully well that they are fighting a losing battle against its nylon rival.