Ojha Thanil Elangbam : Last of the great masters of the Game of Polo

Lourembam Ibetombi Devi *

A game of Polo at Mapal Kangjeibung, at Manipur Sangai Festival 2012 :: Pix - Jinendra Maibam

Ojha Thanil Elangbam is no more. He breathed his last on the 6th of April 2014 (6.30 pm). He is survived by a son and three daughters. I heard the news of his death over the all India Radio news of 7.30 pm. My husband was away from home. I was actually preparing a questionnaire for my next meeting with him. None of my children were at home. The grief was so overwhelming. I cried to my heart's content.

Such a master of the game of the polo is no more. He was one of the lasts of the masters, was the most famous surviving great of the game and he is no more. I have been trying to meet the great masters of the game, and Ojha Thanil was the greatest master. Why not, his father Ojha Chaoyaima was all time great guru of horse riding and polo. Ojha Chaoyaima was one of the initial guru associated with the founding of the MHRPA, of which I am a founder member.

In fact I learnt the basics of horse riding mainly from Ojha Chaoyaima and Ojha Nongda Chaoba. They all were like my grandfathers who cared for me so much, who always remembered me till there last breath. It was when I was trying to find out more on Ojha Chaoyaima that I met Ojha Thanil, an able son and a good progeny, who inherited his father's skills of horse riding and polo and kept the legacy. He took horse riding at a young age of ten under the guidance of his father. Shri Thanil was a great proponent of the game of Polo, a recognised player and a great lover of pony.

I had an interview of Ojha Thanil a few days back on the 27th of March, 2014. We interacted for many hours and it was an absorbing interview. It contained his interaction with Shri M.K. Priyabrata Singh and he fondly remembered him for the pay he arranged for the Polo Players for initial three four years. They were paid three rupees, later raised to eleven rupees a month. Other players who got the remuneration from Sjt M.K. P.B. Singh are:
1. Ali Ora of Mayang Imphal
2. Chaoyaima of Shamusang
3. Waikhom Yaima of Arapti
4. Elangbam Tompoi of Sawombung Awang
5. Oinam Ladu of Sawobung Makha
6. Ashem Ibobi of Sawomung Makha
7. Laishram Yaima of Utlou

According to him, the remuneration was later arranged by one Shri Maibam Iboton Singh of Polo Association probably with funding from other donors. He later joined the Manipur Rifles and played for its team. He used to remember Shri Salam Shyama Singh the then commandant of the 1st Battalion Manipur Rifles telling them that they cannot loose any match. He used to say that Shri P.B. Singh was the Boro Saheb and would not take my husband's correction that Shri P.B. Singh actually became the Chhoto Saheb, because the present bungalow of the CM was the bungalow of the Chhoto Saheb. Such was his reverence of M.K. P.B. Singh.

Ojha Thanil was one of the few players who carried on the game of polo and horse riding during its lean period. He was such a skilled rider that on seeing his riding of horses named Digvijay and Tikendra, the wife of the Governor of Bengal took him to Darjeeling to teach their riders. He went to many places to play polo. He told me that he went to Jaipur also, which was arranged by Shri L. Joychandra Singh.

I was told that he had a mare called Nganthoibi which was so skilled that on his signal, the mare would pick up the polo ball with its mouth and run and in the beginning, ojha became famous through this mare. For his contribution to the game of polo, he was honoured by the Manipur Horse Riding and Polo Association recently with a cash award of ten thousand rupees during the 24th Governor's Cup Polo Tournament on the 12th of March, 2014.

I and my younger brother used to meet him. We were asking him for his photograph on horse back and I was keenly interested to have his father's and his photos. As you know, those were the days when cameras were rare and expensive, photographs were difficult to find. So Ojha volunteered that if we can arrange a Meitei Sabal and a head gear, he would like to sit on the horse back for one last time. Meitei Sabal is safer to ride having protections. Ojha used to tell about his father's friend from Kakching who actually used to make Meitei Sabals.

I also wished if we could have one photo session like that. But on the 27th of March, 2014, when we met him in his house, he could not stand up properly on his own for a photograph, he had to be supported by me. So, I could not arrange for his last wish of a horse ride, which he was so fond of.

His memories about his father Ojha Chaoyaima was of fondness and reverence. He used to remember the tips about tackling in difficult situations in course of a game of polo. He also used to tell how his father loved ponies. One line I still remember is that for a good player, the rider should be as comfortable as if he is sitting down for dinner cross legged, that is level of confidence one should have for becoming a good player.

I was wondering how the father and son was so acquainted with horses and Polo and that fell in to places when he told me that the Churachand Maharaja's horses were reared near their home at Ngangou Pat and Ngangou Pat had best Pologround with uniform Tingthou Grass (Dhup Grass or Cynodon Grass). It was hardly a furlong away from Ojha's house. But there is neither polo ground and nor grazing ground, only paddy field was found. But I could see that the place could have been one of the best polo grounds in those days. Another Pologround is the Gihu Pologround a little farther down the road, of which some part is still available for playing polo.

I still remember the lament of Ojha that he could not do anything for his beloved father and Guru who he revered so much. Now, he is with his father, he can confess why he could not offer anything to him. In my journey on the trails of polo and pony, he simply waited for me, less I would lose everything. He was one of the lasts of the great masters.

It was a great encouragement, he filled up a great missing link. It would now urge me to move forward. It would be a great tribute to this great master to find more about our beautiful game of polo and a fine race of horse called Manipuri Pony.