By Mayanglambam Jemchandra
IMPHAL, March 2: Although the State government has set up a Manipuri pony sanctuary at Heingang with the main objective to safeguard the Manipuri pony from extinction and help increase their population, there are certain things which the government seem to have overlooked.
Other than the ponies which continue to stray along almost all roads in the city, a recent case of authorities’ apathy is the death of a pony during the 2015 International Polo tournament attended by teams from several other countries and the subsequent failure of the authorities concerned to pay compensation as promised to the owner.
It may be mentioned, in an unfortunate incident, a pony named Car had died on the morning of November 26 after playing a match of the international polo the previous evening.
Car’s owner Ak Manaobi said he is disheartened by the apathy of the government and the concerned authority which in this case happens to be Manipur Horse Riding and Polo Association.
Akoijam Manaobi of Iroishemba Amukhong Leirak, who is presently a coach of Nongchup Pana Sagol Kangjei Lup elaborated it is not just about the compensation amount that he is worried of, but more about the authorities’ lack of concern for his dead pony.
“It is more than three months now since my pony died”, he lamented; however, none of the concerned authorities have shown any effort to fulfil their assurances, he added.
Such act of the concerned authorities is very disheartening, he said, and added pony owners are not very rich persons.
We feed and look after our ponies with great difficulties, he added.
However, the Manipur Horse Riding and Polo Association continues to delay payment of any compensation, he lamented.
He said the death of Car has left a large void in his organisation, since Car was one of the best ponies they had.
Since Car died, more than two-three tournaments have been held in the State, he added.
The neglect of the association to either replace Car or pay compensation has also harm the interest of his organisation’s polo team, he said.
Car, he said was one of the best ponies in the State and was not any less than the present top three ponies, Sana of MHRPA, Landaba, owner Girimohon and Forty owner Goroba.
Car had participated in every polo tournament in State since early 2000 and had also participated in Tent-Pegging competitions, he added.
It may be mentioned that Car represented many countries during the 9th Manipur Polo International.
Meanwhile, Manipur Horse Riding and Polo Association secretary K Dhanachandra said that the association has already initiated the process to providing compensation to the owner.
He said the pony in charge of the association Kh Saratkanta has been instructed to talk with the owner.
And once the association receive his report, we will decide whether we will pay in cash of provide a new pony.
He said the MHRPA had provided compensation to a pony which was injured during the 4th International Polo.
The association’s president Budhachandra while lamenting the ponies seen on all major roads in Imphal said once the ponies become old, the owners discard them on the road.
He appealed to the owners to hand over the old ponies to the association so that they may look after them, instead of discarding them on the roads.