Continue the Ban on Glass-Coated Manja

The manja used in kite-flying competitions is often gummed and coated with powdered and finely crushed glass. While extremely effective at cutting an opponent's kite line, glass-coated manja is deadly for thousands of pigeons, crows, owls, kites and other birds who are slashed, wounded and killed when they become entangled in the strings.
 
Glass-coated manja is hazardous not only for birds but also for humans – including passersby travelling on open vehicles such as bicycles, motorcycles or scooters – and is responsible for numerous human injuries and deaths every year. In Mumbai, a stray manja cut a young person's throat, slicing the larynx and surrounding muscles, which are 3 to 4 cm thick. According to a news report, 10 people were killed in Ahmedabad on Makar Sankranti: three were decapitated by manja and seven were killed after falling off terraces or being run over by vehicles while chasing stray kites.

After extensive lobbying against glass-coated manja, PETA managed to convince the Police Commissioner of Mumbai to ban the production and sale of manja in the city. However, PETA has just learned that Home Minister RR Patil may revoke the ban, which could prove lethal not only to humans but also to hundreds of thousands of birds.

You Can Help