On Pulwama's Roads, A Tonga Still Holds On

Srinagar- The sharp clatter of iron-shod hooves cuts through the constant honking at Murran Chowk in Pulwama. As buses, autos and sumos rush past, Manzoor Ahmed adjusts the leather reins of his horse and waits.
“I still get my customers. That is why I haven't left this work,” he says, scanning the road for a familiar face.
For the past 35 years, Manzoor has earned his livelihood riding a horse-drawn tonga, a mode of transport that once defined Pulwama's roads but now survives at the margins of a rapidly modernising transport system that includes free public transport services for women.
When tongas ruled the roads

Recalling earlier days, Manzoor says tongas were once the backbone of local transport.
He says that buses began appearing only in the late 1990s, followed gradually by sumos and later battery-operated autos, steadily shrinking the space for tongas.

“Earlier, only tonga services were running on routes like Sirnoo–Tahab–Murran, Rajpura to Tikken,” he says.“There were no buses. Even autos were rare. Only a few Bajaj scooters came from Srinagar, mostly used by businessmen.”
At the Murran adda, where he now waits for passengers, mornings once resembled today's busy transport hubs.“There used to be around fifty tongas standing here early in the morning,” he recalls.“The adda was always crowded.”
Surviving in a modern transport system
Despite the drastic changes, Manzoor has managed to hold on.
“Today, tongas are limited, but there are still enthusiasts,” he says.“Some people ride for the experience, especially children, while others are regular passengers who have stayed loyal over the years.”

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