Gujarat High Court Asks State Govt To Specify Measures Taken To Stop Use Of Chinese Manjha In State

The bench of Chief Justice Aravind Kumar and Justice Ashutosh J. Shastri sought to know the status of the effective implementation of the HC’s order while dealing with a fresh application moved in the matter.

It may be noted that in its 2017 order, the High Court issued the following order:

“…the State of Gujarat and its authorities shall take all possible steps to prohibit the use of Chinese lanterns during the festival of Uttarayana. 2. They are further directed to take all possible steps to prevent manufacture, storage and use of nylon threads (Chinese threads and Chinese manza) and any other synthetic threads coated with glass for the purpose of kite flying”

Here it may further be noted that the State Government, in 2016, issued a circular putting a ban on Chinese manjha and also issued instructions to take all possible steps to enforce such circular under Section 144 of the CrPC strictly and scrupulously

Now, when the matter came up for hearing on Tuesday, the petitioner Pankaj Buch, represented by Counsel N. M. Kapadia, informed the court that the court’s order isn’t being implemented effectively.

To this, the CJ-led bench inquired from the state as to how the state was implementing the HC’s order by orally observing thus:

“You come out with an action plan for the entire state so that something is done. Mere issuance of circulars doesn’t suffice, it should be implemented. We want to know how you implement it.”

Consequently, the Court passed the following order as it posted the matter for hearing on January 6, 2023:

“Hence, we call upon respondent – State to indicate as to what steps have been taken and as to how aforesaid order is being implemented in the State of Gujarat expeditiously and at any rate on or before 05.01.2023.”

Case title - Pankaj Ansukbhai Buch vs. State Of Gujarat & 9 others

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