"We Will Drive Covid-19 Out": Delhi Kite-Maker's Independence Day Message

On Independence Day every year, skies across the country are dotted with kites as people fly them to mark the joy of freedom from the British rule. This year amid the Covid-19 pandemic, a kite-maker in Delhi has come up with a novel idea. He has made kites with precautions against the deadly virus printed on them.

"Like we chased the British out of India and got independence, I want to give a message to people that we should take precautions so that we can chase Covid-19 out of India," Mohammad Taqi, told news agency ANI. Mohammad Taqi's kites are quite popular among children in his locality.

The colourful kites have pamphlets with Covid symptoms to watch out for, importance of using masks and hand sanitizers stuck on them. He intends to distribute 5,000 kites with messages ahead of  Independence Day on Saturday. 

Delhi: A man, Mohammad Taqi, has made kites with COVID-19 precautions printed on them, in Old Delhi. He says, "Like we chased British out of India & got Independence, I want to give a message that people should take precautions so that we can chase COVID-19 out of India."(12.08) pic.twitter.com/hpvYArhP0E

— ANI (@ANI) August 12, 2020   

"Every year on Independence Day, different messages are sent out through kites. I want to make people aware of precautions to take against Covid-19," Mohammad Taqi said. Not only spreading awareness about the virus, the kite-maker has another message: "Don't use Chinese manjha (thread) for flying kites."

Chinese manjhas lead to tragedies nearly every year on Independence Day. Though it has been banned, somehow the deadly strings find their way to the market. The police keep a vigil every year closer to Independence Day, checking shops for Chinese manjha.

The strings often go unnoticed and lead to accidents. Last year, a four-year-old girl, who was travelling on a motorcycle with her parents, died after her throat was slit by a glass-coated manjha.