Danger for the winged creatures lurks in the sky. As the kite festival draws near the threat of birds getting killed by the Chinese manja looms large. Despite appeals by the Telangana Forest Department, State Biodiversity Board and Blue Cross to ban the ‘killer manja’ no effective steps have been taken by the government. The sharp Chinese nylon manja is very much available in kite shops across the old city.
Most kite aficionados prefer the Chinese manja as it is strong and lasts long unlike the cotton thread. For kite manufacturers, it means more bucks. No wonder appeals by well meaning people to celebrate a cruelty free Sankranti falls on deaf ears. “We have written to the Secretary, Department of Environment to place a ban on Chinese manja. It is for the government to take action”, says Navamita Mukherjee of Humane Society International, India.
Just a week left for the Makar Sankranti, the skyline is already awash with a riot of colours. Kites of different hues and themes have flooded the market. The patang bazar at Gulzar Houz near Charminar is abuzz with activity as people descend from all over the city to make their purchases.
This time round children are spoiled for choice. They can go for kites of Chota Bheem, Spiderman, Doraemon, Mickey Mouse or Mowgli. Each comic character kite can be had separately or as a four-in-one delight. For film buffs kites featuring the warring Baahubali brothers and the Salman Khan starrer Bajrangi Bhaijaan are a big temptation.
There are kites in different designs and sizes. Kites in shapes of eagle, butterfly, Barbie doll and owl. The eagle shape kite of China is made of fabric and costs `300. “When it is flown the real hawks will run for cover”, says Bhagwan Das Bajaj of Bajaj Patang Mahal, Gulzar Houz. The ‘wishing light’ kite is another big attraction. It has a tiny battery at the bottom and when flown in night the light glows, giving an ethereal experience.
The Sare Jahan se Accha .. kite is another big draw. It has the Taj Mahal in the middle and pictures of India Gate, Red Fort and Charminar around. From as little as 80 paise to Rs 300 there are kites to suit every pocket. The manja (string) also come in different price range. The Aasman ka Raja - Maharaja Manja comes for `400 a box.
Over the years, the romance of kites has not lost its charm. In fact it has acquired religious significance and become a hallowed social practice with people cutting across faiths taking to it. Of late this pleasant sport has taken political overtones too.
With the GHMC elections round the corner, different political parties have come out with kites of their leaders. The BJP is banking on the Modi kite with the slogan ‘acche din agaye’ to see it through.
The TRS, which is determined to wrest the civic body, has flooded the patang market with Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao’s kites with the ‘Jai Telangana’ slogan. Not to be left behind the Telugu Desam is also preparing kites of its star campaigner, N. Chandrababu Naidu.
For the Majlis, the kite festival is a blessing in disguise. The party’s election symbol itself is kite and it leaves no stone unturned to make most of the opportunity. “We are making kites of Asad and Akbar with the line MIM ke 7 chamakte sitare”, says Bhagwan Das.
Unlike other sports, kite flying is not so much a struggle of one against the other as a way of excelling oneself. It is a game where the sheer joy of sending ones kite high into the sky makes the heart sing. A spirit of grand informality pervades with everyone forgetting differences of age and religion.
It might appear just a fun, but scores of families are engaged in manufacture of kites round the year. For many households in Dhoolpet, Yakhutpura, Moghalpura and Musheerabad kites are a source of living.
They earn just Rs 300 for a 12-hour grind. Will their lives ever soar like the product they make?