By Biswaraj Patnaik, June 14, 2015 :

31 March 1964, was a sad day for thousands of Mumbai residents. The 90-year old tram would make its last journey from Boribunder to Dadar, clanging the delightful tram bell for the last time. The Bombay Tram Services Company organised this curtain fall event at 10 pm with all carriages packed with commuters who came to bid a tearful goodbye to the 90 year old carriages that bore their burden for so long and adorning the face of the historic city. Tram service was first begun in Wales, UK in 1804 -first horse-drawn to be subsequently powered by steam and electricity successively.

The Mumbai High Court has just banned the age-old horse-driven ‘Victoria’ carriages that have been providing unfailing delight to locals and visitors alike for more than a century. Long after independence, multifarious advocacy and pressure groups emerged and a few of them had their hearts melting for beasts of burden. They petitioned the High Court against torture to horses ponies and mules pulling the historic Victoria and a two-judge bench ruled against the most beautiful ‘luxury carriage’ to be out of service as the beasts were not looked after well with too much burden, too little food served in dung-littered stables never visited by a vet to treat a sick animal ever.

People for Ethical Treatment to Animals [PETA] people are celebrating the judgment while seven hundred odd families have lost sleep and appetite as they would be losing livelihood. The Victoria is one of the greatest tourist attractions as it’s absolutely pollution-free : no noise, no toxic fumes. The Victoria operators work in turn and each makes between two and three thousand rupees per day from around 130 carriages. On festival and other important tourist days, each family would earn between four and five thousand rupees per day.

But the justice duo at the Bombay High Court chose to bring in more fossil fuel vehicles by completely discarding the non polluting carriages powered by horses whose droppings can be easily cleared and used as manure with only a little planning. Victoria has been the beauty of Mumbai face since ages after it first appeared in Wales after a prince imported the luxury carriage from France in the early 19th
century. The British planted it in India then as a transport ode for the rich, especially women. Rather than banning the beauty, the courts could jolly well have directed the authorities to ensure Victoria operators did look after the animals with love and care. Any sick-looking horse or mule would be taken away and the owner hauled up for being unkind to non-vocal creatures of burden.

PETA do sometimes turn very unreasonable. Across the country, there are millions of stray cows and bulls, dogs and cats in acute need of loving care. PETA people are not campaigning for their healthy survival vigorously enough to attract the attention of authorities. Now that 700 families would loose livelihood, some of them are likely to loose sense and commit any sentiment-driven blunder that helplessly debt – ridden farmers in India are doing. This unfortunate decision agitates the mind incessantly because the Indian President too has a most magnificent ‘horse carriage’ which is used for ceremonial purposes. Do the President’s horses feel great to be tied and whipped (no matter how gently) to obey the cart master?

The PETA activists would do good picketing in front of the majestic Rashtrapati Bhawan to sensitize the world around them. Animals suffer in captivity anyway. This judgment has hurt heritage lovers who say that some animals are born to bear burden as that ensures food for their survival , particularly because these species are docile and do not have the skills to steal or hunt food. Further, they love human company. The public woe caused due to the single bench Karnataka High Court ruling to let Jaya Amma free to walk straight to the CM’s chair, has not subsided yet. So the Bombay verdict may confuse people to rate the Indian judiciary wrongly.

The beautiful tram was gone in 1964; the Victoria is going to vanish; but convicted Ammas are acquitted to rule and amass riches more brazenly than ever before. All this talk is disturbing the people across India.