Year after year, the same grim headlines return, cutting through the festive air like the deadly thread itself-Chinese Manja or Gattu Dor claims yet another life. This time, it was 25-year-old Rajinder Kumar from Udhampur; his life abruptly ended in a moment that should never have been possible. Alongside him, another young man, Sandeep Kumar, now battles injuries after a similar encounter. These tragedies are not freak accidents anymore-they are an annual certainty, haunting every Rakhi season. Despite an official ban, despite repeated crackdowns, Gattu Dor continues to thread its way through the markets, kite strings turning into lethal traps for two-wheeler riders. The menace peaks during festivals, particularly Raksha Bandhan, when the symbolism of a brother’s protection is cruelly mocked by the very tool that takes brothers away from their sisters forever. Each year, families are left with photographs instead of hugs, with rituals of remembrance instead of celebration.
Authorities make a show of raids and seizures in the days before the festival, but these sporadic bursts of enforcement do little to stem the supply chain. The sellers simply bide their time or find new ways to smuggle in stock. A few days of action cannot counter a problem that has become entrenched over the years. What is required is sustained vigilance, round-the-year monitoring, and exemplary punishments that make it genuinely risky for anyone to trade in this deadly product. Until the bar is raised for offenders, this menace will return each year-more vigorously than before.
Interestingly, the public in the Jammu division has begun to innovate its own defences. The recent local invention of wire ring guards for two-wheelers has struck a chord with riders who refuse to leave their safety to chance. Festivals are meant to be a time of joy, not a time when families brace themselves for bad news. Life is too precious to be gambled away for a few days of thrill. The administration must go beyond press releases and token gestures. Gattu Dor has had too many victims already; unless we act with seriousness and consistency, the headlines will remain tragically the same next year too.
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