Grieving parents resolve to stop flying of kites in village

Ludhiana: Having lost their 15-year-old son to Chinese dor incident, a village sarpanch is set to bring a resolution stopping the flying of kites in the village. The sarpanch also shares that they will persuade the panchayats in the neighboring villages as well to stop the practice, as many people have fallen victim to the dangerous kite string. It was on Jan 24 that 15-year-old Taranjot Singh of Rohlan village died, while his cousin Prabhjot Singh was critically injured after a Chinese dor struck them near Chehlan village.Talking to TOI, Harchand Singh, whose wife Kamaljit Kaur is the village sarpanch, said that so many people suffer injuries due to Chinese Dor, and some persons even die after suffering serious injuries due to it. He addedthat they are the victims of the dangerous kite string as they lost their child to it.Harchand Singh further said they were thinking of getting kite flying stopped as it didn’t have any significance. He added that even onseashores where people fly it as a hobby, they do it with Kachi Dor (normal string).The village sarpanch and her husband said they would get a resolution passed in the panchayat to stop kite flying. They added that not onlythis, they will also try to persuade panchayats in the neighbouringvillages to pass such resolutions stopping kite flying, as it was hurting people.Ruing lack of “action” by the authorities, Harchand Singh said afterhis son’s death, the police had registered a case against unidentified persons in the matter, but arrested no one. He added that a day after his son’s death, farmers union had staged a dharna and blocked the road, but even as they gave names of four persons who sell the banned string, the police didn’t do anything.He added that the only thing the cops did was to carry out a flag march, but things again remained the same after two days. Harchand Singh said his wife was still struggling to cope with the loss of their son and remains under severe emotional distress. He added that she was unable to come to terms with the tragedy and continues to live inshock.He said the family has preserved their son’s belongings,including his bag, shoes and clothes, exactly where he left them, as apainful reminder of his presence in their lives.Father of the deceased said that before his son died, he expressedapprehension of people suffering because of China Dor and also shared thatsomeone has bought it. He added that on the insistence of his son, he gotan announcement made in the village against the use of China Dor to flykites.Taranjot was very good in studies: Parents of deceasedParents of the deceased said that as their son was very good in studies,they got him double promotion in fourth standard. They added that their sonwon first prize in bhangra and was very good at turban tying.They further said that their son loved cricket as well.Recalling the incident, Harchand Singh said that his wife called his nephewto pick Taranjot up from school on a motorcycle as he got free afterexamination early, even as he would come in a van from school at 2.30 pm onnormal days. He added that as China Dor from a snapped kite caused injuriesto his nephew, he lowered his head and the string struck his son’s neck,who got down from the motorcycle and walked to a doctor’s shop nearby.Singh said that after that, the doctor tied a cloth at the injured part tostop blood and asked them to rush to the hospital, but his son died.Dalbara Singh of Khatran village, who is a relative of the family of thedeceased, said that it is hard to be like Taranjot and he was a very piousand intelligent boy. He added that those who fly kites with China Dor don’tunderstand that it can kill someone.Dalbara said that if govt wishes, it can stop it in a few days, butunfortunately it has not succeeded in checking the sale of China Dor.Father of the deceased said that 10 days before the incident, theycelebrated his (father’s) birthday and cut the cake.