Indian kite string sellers losing business to cheaper Chinese product

Indian kite string sellers losing business to cheaper Chinese product

Cheaper Chinese manja makes better-quality plastic kites affordable.

By Dipika Pillay

BANGALORE (Jan. 12)—With the Sankranti festival just around the corner, colorful kites are set to adorn the skies. But, manja kite string makers in the city are facing a tough time as cheaper Chinese nylon thread is robbing them of their livelihoods.

Come the season of autumn, manja makers can be seen making the coarse thread used in kite-fighting competitions as well as paper kites. Strings of cotton thread are tied between pillars and coated with a concoction of rice powder, glass pieces, adhesive, chemical colors and cinnamon.

“Previously people flocked to buy manja, but now it’s either Chinese manja or tangus manja [wire-wrapped string],” said Sadar Hussein, a manja maker from Shivajinagar. “This year the sale has gone down. We have lost our main source of income.”

One gheeti, a measure of approximately 35 meters, of Indian manja costs Rs.15 while Chinese and tangus cost around Rs.10. Another popular thread called luddhi manja from Bareilly has also invaded the market.

The majority of the book stall owners voiced disappointment with the modest sales they racked up.

Hussein also adds that many of his colleagues are now trying to find other sources of income like painting or construction jobs.

Chinese manja cheaper, higher quality

Manja makers say inflation in the domestic market has resulted in an inability to compete with the Chinese product.

Shopkeepers say kite lovers prefer Chinese manja because it is sharper and cheaper than its Indian counterpart.

“There has been a 30 percent increase in the price of cotton compared with last year, and that is the reason why manja prices have increased,” Hussein lamented.

But some manufacturers maintain that the reason they are losing out is because of a lack of quality—not pricing.

“The public prefers Chinese manja over Indian manja because it is both stronger and cheaper,” said Abdul Latif, a kite seller at Ragipet. “The thread is firmer and does not break easily when it comes to kite-cutting competitions.”

Kite sellers in Ragipet and Chickpet market say the foreign imports help them to cut costs enough to sell higher-quality kites.

“Previously we had paper kites, but now people prefer plastic kites,” says Y. Babu, a kite seller and plastic dealer from Chikpet. “It survives the wind and doesn’t tear easily.”

Manja menace

The ugly side of manja is the risk it poses to flying birds and people riding motorbikes and scooters. Section 5 of the Environment Protection Act says any chemical substance that causes harm to living beings—animals, humans and plants—is a violation of the law. It gives administrative authority to the state to take action against the trade of the substance.

Ahmedabad, which hosts the largest annual kite-flying competition in the country, has banned the use of Chinese manja. Amritsar, Ludhiana and Mumbai have since followed suit.

According to a report published in 2010-11, the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike had to rescue 12 kites, nine crows and a pigeon last Sankranti.