Sohail Khan, internationally acclaimed kite flier from Udaipur will showcase his skills at Fatehsagar on Makar Sankranti, when he launches his nationwide campaign against the Chinese Manjha. Sohail has returned from his kite flying expedition to Istanbul where he promoted the use of the desi manjha, amplifying the ill effects of Chinese made manjha (abrasive string used for flying kites).

Sohail, aged 26 years has been glued to the hobby of kite flying since his association with his uncle Abdul Malik, who was also a well known kite flier. Sohail insists that inspite of the Green Tribunal ban on the storage and use of the Chinese manjha (which is coated with powdered glass), it is still in use. His tours to international kite flying shows gives him an opportunity to promote the desi manjha and he educates people on the ill effects of the Chinese version.

Many people have lost their lives through the use of the chinese abrasive string, the most recent being the case of Mahaveer in Jaipur, where instead of him wearing a helmet, his wind pipe was cut by the thread on 4 Jan.

Sohail has been entertaining people on the occasion of Nirjala Ekadashi, and this time he will showcase his skills at Fatehsagar on the occasion of Makar Sankranti (14 Jan). He got associated with his uncle Abdul Malik since the age of 11, and after the death of Malik in 2011, he has taken on the mantle of educating people what his uncle taught him.

He will begin his campaign against the Chinese Manjha by flying a kite at Fatehsagar on 14 Jan. His team mates, Abdul Rashid, Danish and Kaleem will be alongside Sohail. Abdul Rashid said that there has been no public kite flying on the occasion of Makar Sankranti since 1999 and that Sohail will restart the tradition.

Sohail has also got into the limelight after his kite flying expedition to Istanbul in May 2017, when he flew life size kites with the image the National flag and Maharana Pratap.

Source: Bhaskar