September 30, 2004

Two decades ago tongas were the favoured mode of transportation in Larkana. Those employed in this profession are facing a gloomy future now as very few people take a ride on it, writes Liaquat Rajper

Human beings have been employing various means of transportation in order to move from one place to another since times immemorial. Until a few decades ago, in spite of cars, rickshaws and buses, horse-drawn carriages or tongas were used by the majority of the people in Larkana (as well as in many other cities and towns all over the country). There was a special joy attached to the tonga with its jolting, yet pleasurable, ride. It was referred to as a royal transport even by the affluent class.

At one time, when tongas were widely used as the sole mode of public transportation, there was a tough competition among their owners to grab customers. The tongas were decorated to the hilt to catch the eye of bystanders. At the railway station, bus stops, and markets wherever there was a rush of commuters, one could easily spot beautifully painted and well-maintained tongas stationed nearby.

In the rural areas, near Larkana, there was always a competition between the landlords as to who owned the most beautiful buggy in town. They took pride in decorating buggies with costly eye-catching objects. Equal stress was laid on buying horses of a superior race to pull the carriage.

However, with the passage of time, motorcars, rickshaws and mini-buses slowly replaced tongas. Life became fast-paced and required people to reach their destinations in a short time. Thus they began to rely more on motorized vehicles. This changing scenario had a direct effect on the survival of those who relied on tongas as their only source of livelihood.

Roshan Ali Chandio, the president of the Tonga Welfare Association, Larkana, says: “About 100 tongas still ply on the roads in Larkana. The owners of these tongas mostly reside in the suburbs and go to the city to earn their livelihood.”

These tongas are mostly used as a pick-and-drop service for school-going children who are charged Rs100 per head. But it is a dangerous mode of transportation as the tongas are heavily overloaded. Others who tend to use this mode are people who have luggage and large families. The charge for a tonga in such a case is Rs20. In rare cases they charge Rs5 for each individual.

Chandio said that when tongas were in demand two horses were kept by the owner. One was yoked during daytime and the other at night. The owners earned a lot of money and lived a comfortable life. Now, they are unable to supplement the family income as the daily income is only between Rs100 and Rs150.

If family members fall ill they go to a hakim or a quack who charges less as they cannot afford a doctor. Their children are deprived of going to school as they have to work to help supplement the family income. When their horse falls sick they have to take it to a private veterinary doctor who charges more than the government hospital which is miles away from the city.

These people cannot provide good feed to their horses because grass, fodder, and other items have become very expensive. The horses become feeble and sometimes collapse, particularly in the summer heat. Maintenance is thus a problem.

People related to the tonga profession included the farriers, buggy makers and fodder sellers. In these lean times the tonga owners cannot buy a new buggy because it costs Rs25,000, so they have to keep repairing their old one. There is only one person left in the area who can make a buggy. The rest have left the profession. As work is scarce and parts are costly, he is also considering leaving the profession.

Chandio expressed concern over the encroachment of the tonga stand on Bunder Road, which was set up before partition and is encroached upon by shopkeepers with the help of the municipal staff.

There is not a single tonga stand in the whole city and watertanks built by the Hindus for horses and other animals have been removed. Recently, five new watertanks for horses have been constructed by some philanthropists but there are no stables for the horses. Moreover, tonga owners pay Rs5 per day as fee at bus stands and railway stations.

The condition of the roads in the area is poor resulting in the buggies getting damaged. It also creates problems for the horses who dislike the rutted surface. Horseshoes cost from Rs20 to Rs30 and must be replaced weekly. On top of that in order to train a horse, Rs2,000 has to be paid to the trainers. Only then are the horses yoked to the tonga. But there is hardly any money to spare, so the horses suffer. With all these problems it is not surprising that tongas are dying out.

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