Beware of these rakhis

MUMBAI: Reena Kohli, a mother of two young kids in Andheri, has another domestic battle on her hands. Two months back she had to wean her kids away from Chinese-made toys after reports that the lead used in their colours could damage children’s brain cells.

Now her six-year-old son Kulvinder, who is hooked to the Pokemon series on TV, wants a Pokemon rakhi — one of the brightly coloured Chinese rakhis that have flooded the market.

“A friend told him about the rakhi, and he is insisting that we get him one. It’s going to be difficult now to coax him to wear one of the Indian rakhis, which are  plain, but I don’t want to take any risks. He will be eating with the hand on which the rakhi is tied,” she said.

But most people preparing to celebrate Rakshabandhan on Tuesday seem unaware of the possible risks of the new rakhis with the ‘Made in China’ tag which have become an instant hit.

Unlike the string-and-bead Indian rakhis, these have figurines of characters like Pokeman and Hanuman on satin bands, and cost anywhere between Rs20 and Rs450. The figurines can be reused as toys or stick-ons.

It’s the bright colours on these figurines which are a cause of concern because millions of Chinese-made toys have been withdrawn from markets in the US and Europe after they were found to contain lead-based paint that can harm a child if ingested.

Abhay Kumar, a scientist with Toxics Links, the Mumbai-based NGO which tested the Chinese toys to confirm their lead content, says the colours and PVC material used in the rakhis are similar to those of the toys. “The brighter the rakhi, the more dangerous it is. And, unlike toys, the rakhis are unbranded - so the risk is greater.”

“They are painted in bright shades of red, orange and green. So there’s every chance of these rakhis being polluted with lead,” adds Kishore Wankhede of Toxics Links.

Dr Rajni Desai, a city-based anaesthetist, says, “Even minute amounts of lead can cause neurological problems in kids.”

Dr Roop Gursahani of the neurology department at Hinduja hospital says only tests can determine how dangerous the Chinese rakhis are, but suggests parents keep their kids away from them. “Even if the paint comes off on the hand and the kid uses the same hand for eating, it can be problematic.”

Experts also point out that young boys tend to wipe their sweat off the upper lip with the wrist, which would bring the rakhi in contact with the mouth. Besides, the reusability of these rakhis as toys and stick-ons after Rakshabandhan means they will be used over a longer period of time than traditional rakhis which are worn for a day or two and thrown away.

The rakhis are mostly imported by small traders who have little knowledge about the dangers of lead and cadmium in their paints. Mohan Desai, a stationary shop owner at Lokhandwala market, has a big stock of Chinese rakhis due to their sales potential.

“The Chinese rakhis have become a rage among kids because of the Pokemon and Shinchan characters on them. This week, anyone buying a rakhi for a kid has been only picking up the Chinese rakhi.”

Reena Kohli says the government should assess the health risk of these imports and do something about it. “The Chinese rakhis are all over the market with every kid wanting to buy them.”

Alka Bagadia says that in her Marwari joint family, the women tie rakhis not only to their brothers but also their nephews and grandchildren.

“Trying to keep in tune with the mindset of my nephews, I would have thought of buying them the Chinese rakhis. But having heard about the lead content in the Chinese toys, I’m going to avoid these rakhis, however fascinating the kids may find them.”