After their ordeal at Heingang, Manipuri pony sees new ray of hope
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, July 16 2014: Manipuri pony, neglected for too long and are on the verge of complete extinction, now sees a new ray of hope after Chief Minister O Ibobi allotted a portion of Lamphelpat for breeding the rare horse species.

Manipuri ponies were earlier rehabilitated near Lord Marjing premises at Heingang under adverse conditions.

There the ponies were struggling for survival without any care-taker, and the ponies were becoming weaker and thinner day by day.

But in a sudden turn of events which sounded like a windfall for the ponies as well as pony lovers, the Chief Minister recently allotted a plot of land inside the NIT complex at Lamphelpet.

The area is surrounded by the road leading to Shija Hospital on one side, the road leading to the plot set aside for Manipur Police on another side and Langol hills on another.

Fodder grows abundantly in the plot and there is enough water as well as dry land and it would be ideal for the ponies.

Manipuri ponies trotting and grazing at their new found home at Lamphelpat

The recent move of the Chief Minister elated many organisations and individuals related with Manipuri pony and the game of polo.

Some of them have brought their horses and set them free there.

All the horses kept at the Heingang sanctuary have also been brought to Lamphel-pat enclosure.

The well fenced and guarded grazing ground is already a host to over 150 ponies belonging to the major polo clubs of the State.

The decision to allow ponies to graze in the NIT Complex for the time being was arrived by Chief Minister O Ibobi following request by international polo players including S Bimol Singh, T Pradeep Kumar, M Jawan Singh and S Somorjit and Senior MHRPA members last week.

Loushangbam Ojit Meetei, Secretary of Khurai Polo Club said that two precious ponies of the Club died recently after eating polythene bags while wandering in the streets.

He said that there is a ray of hope for the ponies to survive this season as they will be away from the streets.

"I have herded nine ponies today and we are trying to bring fifteen tomorrow from different locations.

The grass in Lamphelpat is best suited for our Manipuri pony breed.

One will notice the health of the ponies within a few months if they graze here," Ojit Said.

Appreciating the recent move of the Government, particularly Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh to save Manipuri Pony breed, Longjam Tarun of the Nambul Mapal Polo Club said that the area where the ponies are being allowed to graze is big enough for the entire population of ponies of the state.

The Nambul River banks have green grasses where we used to take our ponies to graze.

The cultivations by many neighbours near the banks have also deprived the ponies of the little areas to survive.

"We have been buying fodder for Rs 100 a bundle to feed our thirty ponies.

One pony eats at least two bundles a day.

Allowing our ponies to graze here will be a major financial relief to the club members" .

"We have just brought seven ponies here today and the remaining will follow soon.

One of my new born ponies died last week because of malnutrition," he said.

Hurriedly bringing ponies to the site were RK Puru-shotam of the X Fitness Polo Club and Senjam Ranjan of the Eastern Students' Club.

Bringing thirty-one ponies to the site, Thoudam Kaoba of the Chingkheihunba Polo Club said that the news of allowing the ponies to graze in the NIT has come as the biggest and happiest news.

"This is the first batch of thirty-one ponies of the club.

We are bringing ten to fifteen ponies at the earliest.

N Ibungochoubi, Secretary of the Manipuri Pony Society who was at the venue supervising the repairing of some damaged boundary fence said that Lamphelpat has been the home for the Manipuri ponies from time immemorial.

"It is a heavenly delight to see our ponies grazing in Lamphelpat, their ancestral land.

It is an irony that ponies are wandering on the streets to survive today driven away by urbanisation," he said.

N Ibungochoubi also highlighted the alarming threats to the Manipuri Pony breed.

He said that much is being talked about to save the ponies.

However, the least is being done to check the decreasing number of the rare breed.

"The actual population of the ponies estimated is less than 400 today.

If the rate of death is not checked, Mani-puri ponies will be history said," he said.