Pony preservation still remains a far cry
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: November 19 2018 -

Manipuri Pony pushed on the verge of extinction :: Pix - TSE

It’s now or never. Their total number stands below 600.

If some concrete and effective measures are not put in place urgently for their protection and preservation, there is a strong likelihood of the particular species disappearing completely from the surface of Earth sooner rather than later.

Of course, we are talking about the much celebrated Manipuri Pony.

No doubt, all the people of Manipur feel proud to gift the game of Polo to the whole world.

The game of Polo is played with players astride ponies, not other breeds of horses, at least in Manipur, if not in the whole world.

In another word, the game of Polo is simply unimaginable without ponies. But the game of Polo has not yet done enough to sustain Manipuri ponies.

In fact, Polo is the only hope for survival of Manipuri ponies because this particular horse is no longer used for any other purpose except for playing ponies.

Like the ancient kingdom of Manipur, Manipuri ponies too have a glorious history.

People of Manipur owe a lot to the sturdy, surefooted ponies for the existence of Manipur as a proud independent kingdom spanning over 2000 years before the colonial period.

It was the deadly Arambai (darts thrown from speeding horses against fleeing or pursuing enemies), which formed the bulwark in defending the kingdom from external aggression.

Again it was the Arambai which often proved devastating to enemy defence lines.

Ponies always occupied a prominent and respectable position in the history and culture of Manipur since mythological period.

Manipuri ponies were seldom used as beast of burden nor were they used for ploughing fields.

They were animals of war, a prized asset of each and every Manipuri family in the bygone days.

It was introduction of mechanised warfare which drastically changed the fate and fortune of Manipuri pony.

Mechanised warfare rendered cavalry as well as ponies totally useless and impotent.

The predicament of Manipuri ponies has its roots in fast disappearance of wetlands and ever shrinking grazing fields.

Though Manipuri ponies are indispensable for the game of polo, they have very little commercial value.

It is a common knowledge that an entity or an animal which has no commercial value is doomed in this highly commercialised age.

Who would rear and take care of ponies when they have very little utility and commercial value?

With the exception of a few, no common people would like to invest time, energy and money on rearing ponies.

It is for this very reason that horses/ponies are left to feed on streets without any protection from scorching heat, torrential rain and chilling cold.

No doubt, polo players love and value ponies. But their number is too few to shoulder the task of preserving ponies, and in addition, they don’t have the resources to accomplish such a crucial mission.

This is where the need for State intervention is felt acutely as pointed out in the same column two years back.

The State can also rope in interested NGOs and polo clubs for protection and preservation of ponies but it must take the initiative.

Establishment of a polo club or team for each and every battalion of Manipur Rifles and India Reserved Battalion, in addition to the polo team of Manipur Police Sporting Club can make significant contributions towards preservation of ponies and further popularisation of the game of Polo.

At the same time, the State Government needs to implement the Manipuri Pony Conservation and Development Policy 2016 in letter and spirit with the right dose of political will.

All the citizens in general and animal rights activists in particular too need to take up the cause of ponies concurrently just as they are doing for other animals like Sangai.