The joy of Makar Sankranti was overshadowed by tragedy as at least four people were killed across India due to illegal nylon kite strings on Wednesday, 14 January 2026, according to Hindustan Times

Fatalities were reported in Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, and Telangana, where commuters on two-wheelers had their throats slit by the nearly invisible “Chinese manjha”. Despite a long-standing statutory ban by the National Green Tribunal, the razor-sharp string continues to be sold clandestinely, leading to horrific injuries and deaths.

While police have intensified raids in major cities like Nagpur, Jaipur, and Hyderabad, the persistence of this lethal thread has sparked renewed calls for judicial intervention and stricter parental accountability.

Chinese Manjha Deaths

The most heart-wrenching incident occurred in Bidar, Karnataka, where 48-year-old Sanjiva Kumar, a gram panchayat worker, died while riding his scooter to pick up his daughter. A stray nylon string slit his throat on a flyover, causing him to lose control and collapse.

In his final moments, he managed to call his daughter to tell her he would be late, only to succumb to his injuries shortly after. Similar tragedies were reported in Lucknow and Hyderabad, where unsuspecting victims were entangled in high-tension strings that act like serrated blades, capable of slicing through skin, muscle, and even bone.

Why ‘Chinese Manjha’ Is Dangerous

Unlike traditional cotton thread (Sada Manjha), which is biodegradable and breaks under moderate pressure, the nylon-based “Chinese manjha” is reinforced with glass or metal particles. It is non-biodegradable and possesses immense tensile strength, meaning it does not snap easily when it hits an obstacle.

For kite flyers, this provides a competitive edge in “cutting” rival kites, but for the public, it becomes a death trap. When stretched across roads or flyovers by the wind, the string becomes a high-speed garrotte for motorcyclists, who often do not see the thread until it is too late to react.

High Courts Order

Recognising the failure of administrative enforcement, the judiciary has stepped in with unprecedented severity. The Indore bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court recently ruled that if a minor is caught using the banned string, their guardians will be held legally responsible.

Under Section 106(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), guardians can face up to five years in prison for “causing death by negligence.”

Simultaneously, the Bombay High Court slammed the Maharashtra government for allowing the string to be sold on online marketplaces, directing the state to treat the manufacture and sale of nylon manjha as a serious criminal offence.

Menace Beyond Human Victims

The devastation caused by nylon strings extends far beyond human fatalities, wreaking havoc on urban biodiversity. Every year during the kite-flying season, thousands of birds, including endangered vultures and migratory species, are maimed or killed.

The strings get entangled in trees and power lines, acting as permanent traps that result in amputated wings or slow, painful deaths for avian life.

Animal welfare organisations have reported a massive influx of “manjha-hit” birds this year, prompting calls for citizens to switch back to traditional cotton threads that are safe for both people and the environment.

The Logical Indian’s Perspective

At The Logical Indian, we believe that no cultural celebration should ever come at the cost of a human life. It is deeply disturbing that a “banned” product continues to kill year after year due to a combination of administrative apathy and a lack of public empathy.

A festival of the sun and harvest should symbolise life and hope, not mourning and bloodied streets. We must move beyond “ritualistic” police raids and foster a collective conscience where we choose kindness and safety over the thrill of a kite fight.

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