Tragic Sankranti Ride Ends in Death as Banned Kite String Cuts Neck
A simple fatherly errand turned into a devastating tragedy in Bidar district on Wednesday morning. Sanjiva Kumar, a 48-year-old man from Bambulagi village, lost his life in a horrific accident caused by a banned kite string known as manja.
Fatal Journey to Bring Daughter Home
Sanjiva Kumar set out on his motorbike with a happy purpose. He planned to pick up his 16-year-old daughter from her residential school in Humnabad, about 30 kilometers away. The family anticipated celebrating the harvest festival of Sankranti together over an extended weekend.
Around 10:30 AM, disaster struck on a flyover near Talamadagi village in Chitaguppa taluk. A sharp manja thread, used for flying kites, sliced through Sanjiva's neck with terrifying force. The impact threw him off his motorcycle instantly.
Heartbreaking Final Call to Daughter
Despite his severe injury and bleeding profusely by the roadside, Sanjiva managed to make one last phone call. He contacted his daughter, who waited eagerly with her packed bag. In what would become his final conversation, he told her he might face some delay due to an accident. He tragically underestimated the severity of his own condition.
Bystanders eventually noticed the critical situation and called for an ambulance from Chitaguppa, approximately 12 kilometers from the accident site. This delay proved fatal. When the ambulance finally transported Sanjiva to Chitaguppa taluk hospital around 11:30 AM, doctors could only pronounce him dead on arrival. His shirt was completely soaked in blood, and he showed only a faint pulse.
Family and Community Outrage
Sanjiva Kumar worked with the Bambulagi gram panchayat. He leaves behind a grieving wife and two daughters, including the teenager he never reached that morning.
Anguished relatives and friends gathered at the accident site to protest. They demanded immediate action against the continued use of banned manja threads. Many argued that timely medical assistance could have saved Sanjiva's life, blaming the ambulance delay for the tragic outcome.
Official Response and the Manja Menace
Chitaguppa tahsildar Manjunath Panchal responded to the incident by promising strict action against those responsible. This tragedy highlights a persistent danger despite existing bans.
Understanding the banned manja threat:
- Manja refers to kite strings coated with a dangerous mixture of glue and powdered glass
- While the base thread is cotton, the glass coating creates an extremely sharp edge
- These strings can inflict deep, sometimes fatal, cuts to necks, faces, fingers, and limbs
- Motorcyclists, pedestrians, and children face the highest risk during kite-flying seasons
- Karnataka has officially banned manja, yet it remains widely used around Makara Sankranti celebrations
This preventable death underscores the urgent need for better enforcement of safety regulations during festive periods. A family's Sankranti celebration has turned into permanent mourning because of a banned product that continues to claim lives.
