Government of India: Offer Financial Support To an Indigenous Breed From Going Extinct.

On the 28 of June an article was published on The New York Times (link given below) which talks about the dying culture of polo, a sport which has now become exclusive, played and watched by the elite, but the origins of which lie in the small state of Manipur.

While earlier the sport had patrons which mostly consisted of the Royal Family, at this moment it is a dying tradition . The ponies used for the sport are endangered and their numbers have dropped to less than half and are dwindling at a meagre 500 .

There are a number of aspects here which need attention: first being, the capitalisation and commercialisation of an indigenous sport by the British as well as the blind eye turned to it by the Indian government. Apart from the dwindling numbers of ponies, there is a culture and heritage which may soon become extinct if there is no action taken soon. With the slow decline of the sport due to lack of any institutional or governmental support , the Manipuri ponies which were earlier used for polo and warfare are now endangered since the decline in patronage towards the pony and the sport, private patrons have so long contributed but such an arrangement is unfeasible in the long run. The ponies have little use apart from playing polo and becomes an expensive responsibility. Without the intervention of the government neither pony nor polo will remain.

Not only is the extinction of ponies in question, but the heritage and cultural legacy of an indigenous sport will soon become extinct. If there are few things which threaten civilisations it is the slow demise of their culture. While this was a part and parcel of imperialist ambitions and design. In the free world we live in, in the democracy we so proudly proclaim, this situation is nothing but abominable. What may be said to be worse is that to salvage this situation a measly effort on the part of the government would suffice. A small contribution of institutional and financial support could save a dying culture and species . When I say a small contribution, it must be made clear that even an amount of 30-40 lakhs by the government, or a big private corporation capable of investing that amount, along with some institutional infrastructure to revive the sport would suffice.

Worse still being the fact that The New York Times has reported on an issue concerning a serious matter regarding the Northeast, with the Indian media mostly investing their energies in diverting attention to a lot of other issues which don’t need immediate attention. While there is a culture, a heritage, a species and an indigenous sport which slowly dies.

The media constantly reports on the statements of the government and politicians regarding their concern and their sincere efforts to bring the North-east to the mainstream through development and infrastructure, here is an opportunity for them to show their commitment to a people who they have ignored for far too long.

It is not just the matter of a dying sport or the extinction of an indigenous breed of horses, it is a matter of visibility. It is a matter of an identity and a legacy slowly dying with the state turning a blind eye to it. It should not be allowed in the free world we live in and in that I ask for your support.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/29/sports/polo-fades-in-india-on-the-backs-of-endangered-ponies.html?...#