Matheran’s horses get a new lease of life
By Shonali Sarkar
Heera and Panna, Matheran-based 38-year-old Rakesh Kokale’s two horses, are family for him. “They’re just like my four-year-old daughter Ruhi and 11-year-old son Mehul. We live together and they’ve literally grown up with my children.”
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| IN BETTER TIMES: Matheran's popular horses faced starvation issues once tourists stopped arriving |
Things suddenly went out of hand when restrictions were imposed in Mumbai in April 2021 following the second wave of COVID-19. A majority of Matheran’s tourists are from Mumbai and were left completely stranded and helpless. “In time, I found myself unable to even provide food for my horses,” recalls Rakesh, echoing the sentiments of the 235 horse-owners of Matheran.
“Aadmi to fir bhi kahin se bhi kha leta hai…par ghoda kaha jayega aur kya khayega?” says another 43-year-old horse owner, preferring to stay anonymous, reminiscing the time when, the horses in Matheran - Asia’s only non-motorable hill-station - faced the worst in the wake of the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.
Somewhere in an alternative reality, word was spreading about how the horses in Matheran were starving. And, it struck a chord with everyone who had been to Matheran, even taken a horseback ride, some time in life. If they couldn’t help directly, they spread the word by ‘sharing’.
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| GOOD SAMARITAN: IGP Sengaonkar |
“When I read about the state of Matheran’s horse-owners and their horses, I knew things were swiftly going out of hand. They have a hand-to-mouth existence and were completely dependent on tourists particularly from Mumbai. I contacted a horse-owner in Matheran to get all the details, even sent a local policeman to verify the information before sending out an appeal to all the friends, colleagues and relatives, providing bank details of one of the horse-owners,” says Mr Sengaonkar.
And, help came from all quarters. “There were about three to four in my group, like me, who contributed Rs 11,000/-. Why, even pensioners earning a meagre Rs 13,000/- came forward along with government workers and pitched in with Rs 500/- to Rs 5,000/-,” he adds.
After collecting Rs 1,63,117 for the horses, “we arranged for wheat bhusa to be brought in through a trader who ordered it from Gujarat, as there is a shortage of the same in Maharashtra at present and transported it to Matheran. Incidentally, one bag of wheat bhusa is sufficient for one horse for 15 days.”
“People are still sending in money. A lot of people have empathy for animals. I believe we may not have something in surplus but if we have the will and the intention, we can help in many ways,” feels Mr Sengaonkar.
Even last year, during the first national lockdown as Mumbai Government Railway Police (GRP) Commissioner, Ravindra Sengaonkar reached out to the homeless and, in a joint effort of the police and public, distributed food packets to the needy.
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| HELP AT HAND: Distribution of wheat bhusa for the horses underway at Matheran |
Surprisingly, locals like Rakesh received absolutely no help from the local administration. “No local politician or elected leader even bothered to inquire about our condition, forget about extending any help or financial support. Will they come after our horses die?” says Rakesh with anger and disappointment.
Last year, after closing down in March, Matheran had opened in early September 2020, the locals struggled for survival. In all, 235 horse-owners in Matheran and 460 horses who ‘show’ tourists around the hill station, found themselves in the doldrums. Reliance Group’s Anant Ambani then helped the Matheran locals by sending wheat bhusa for the horses and ration kits for households.
Most horse-owners earn Rs 500-700/- per day during ‘slack season’ and up to Rs 2,000/- during ‘peak season’. They, however, have to earn enough to save money to sustain their families and the horses during the monsoons, when there’s a slump in business.
This year again, following the second wave of COVID-19 and ensuing restrictions, the luggage-carrying horse-owners continue to work but the ones ferrying tourists have no business at all at the moment.
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| RELIEVED: Rakesh Kokale with his horses Heera and Panna |
"Even the owners of renowned hotels of Matheran did not step forward to extend any help to the suffering locals. Only, Usha Ascot has assured us relief for the horses in the near future," says Rakesh. The situation is far from good for the hand-rickshaw pullers too who have been out of work with no tourists. As for 'outsiders' working in Matheran, they've all left for their native places.
Best Eastern Hotels Ltd. Director Dilip Kothari, when contacted, said, "We plan to distribute about 460 bags of bhusa for the horses in Matheran soon. The plan is to ensure that there are enough supplies to last through till June 2021 and we're readying for future needs, if any. This is a collaborative effort of Usha Ascot with a few other animal welfare NGOs and groups."
Mr Ravindra Sengaonkar’s yeoman’s service doesn’t come as a surprise. After all, he has a highly distinguished lineage too. His grandfather was a policeman, father served in the Indian Army and son is a Major in the Indian Army. “As for the issue of the horses in Matheran, I strongly feel that it’s important we reach out to animals in these trying times. I believe there’s a good person inside each one of us that comes out in such times,” feels the IGP. Heera and Panna, like the rest of their ilk, couldn’t be happier.
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