Workshop calls for stronger conservation of Pony and Polo heritage
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, October 27 2026: Experts, researchers and polo players have called for stronger conservation of Manipuri Pony and Polo heritage at a workshop held at the Dhanamanjuri (DM) University, Imphal, on October 26 .

The workshop was jointly organised by the Vishwanath Cancer Care Foundation (VCCF), Mumbai, and the Department of Political Science, DM University.

DMU Vice Chancellor Prof W Chandbabu Singh, Mutum Biswanath of VCCF and Karkinos Healthcare, Mumbai, retired IAS officer Dr RK Nimai, and many resource persons, experts took part in the workshop.

The experts and researchers stressed that conservation must go beyond protecting the animal.

"It must also preserve the traditions, livelihoods, and community bonds associated with the pony and Sagol Kangjei, Manipur's traditional form of polo" .

The workshop called for stronger cooperation among the Government, academic institutions, pony owners, polo players and local communities in preserving the polo heritage for future generations.

DMU VC W Chandbabu emphasised that the people of Manipur, particularly the academicians, should play a pivotal role in reviving the polo heritage at a time when the population of the pony is decreasing.

Retired IAS officer Dr RK Nimai stressed on the changing relationship between the State and the Manipuri Pony.

He noted that while the pony had enjoyed royal patronage for centuries because of its strategic role in warfare and military traditions, this institutional support has largely disappeared, leaving individual owners and communities to shoulder much of the responsibility for its survival.

On the ponies losing their natural habitat, Dr Rajkumar Chingkhei, Assistant Professor at DMU, highlighted that nearly 80 per cent of the ponies are concentrated in and around urban settlements.

"Wetlands such as Lamphel Pat, Heingang Pat, Yaral Pat, Waithou Pat and Porom Pat face considerable pressure from encroachment," Dr Chingkhei said, calling for a relook at the pony conservation policy to explore suitable habitats in rural areas while protecting existing habitats.

Dr M Norjit Singh of Central Agricultural University stressed the importance of moving beyond conventional breeding methods to conserve the species.

He noted that scientific tools such as genomic profiling, digital studbooks, and reproductive technologies to help identify genetic diversity, prevent inbreeding, and expand the effective breeding population must be made accessible to pony owners across Manipur.

DMU Associate Professor Dr Noni Arambam said that the pony population has not recovered despite the Manipuri Pony Conservation and Development Policy being hailed as a historic intervention.

He, however, expressed hope that the recent reconstitution of the Manipuri Pony Conservation and Development Board in October could offer a fresh opportunity to address gaps in the implementation of the conservation policy, institutional coordination, and resource allocation.

He also called for more studies on the ponies' role in war Manipuri history.

Women polo players, Thoudam Tanna Devi and Neelu RK shared their experiences and spoke about the challenges and milestones involved in sustaining polo traditions.

Several researchers including N Ibungochoubi, Leishemba Takhellambam and Donald Takhell presented papers during the workshop.

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