Amid the growing austerity measures in the country announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week, the traditional Tonga (horse cart) — a popular mode of transport from the 1950s to the early 70s — is gaining traction among residents of Jammu in the Union Territory.
These Tongas, which used to be a common mode of transport in the erstwhile state and commonly plied between Jammu and Sialkot before independence, are still operating in the RS Pura area after seven decades.
Locals and tourists in the region have been opting for the eco-friendly transport for entertainment as part of border tourism and for short-distance travel in villages near the international border.
A Tonga operator in RS Pura said, “We have been running tongas here for decades. Before 1947, people used to travel from Sialkot to Jammu in Tonga.
Over the years, this tradition went out of fashion, but now, after the Prime Minister’s appeal, locals are once again using Tongas for short-distance movement in villages.”
He said the Tonga operators in the region continue to assemble on Saturday and Sunday to keep the tradition alive. Tourists are also enjoying nature through traditional means of travelling from place to place.
Some tourists from Delhi, Punjab, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh said that the Tonga rides not only help in saving fuel but also offer a glimpse into the region’s history, heritage and rural life.
Earlier, J&K minister Satish Sharma had also advocated for the use of traditional Tonga methods in Srinagar.
He urged the general population to contribute positively to the austerity measures announced by PM Modi.
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