Maghi Mela: Akalis, breeders slam Punjab govt over banning of horse market

Archit Watts

Muktsar, December 18

Politics has heated up over the state government’s decision to not allow the annual horse market to be held at Lambi Dhabh village here during the Maghi Mela in January.

Earlier, the government had banned the horse market during Dasehra due to glanders disease. The decision had also not gone down well with horse breeders.

A fair with religious significance

• Maghi Mela is organised every year to commemorate the 40 Muktas (liberated ones), who laid down their lives while fighting the battle against the Mughals here in 1705
• Thousands of devotees come to pay obeisance at historic gurdwaras & take a dip in the ‘sarovar’ on the occasion

A horse fair was organised from December 11-17 at Hanumangarh in Rajasthan, where a large number of horse breeders from Punjab had also gone with their animals.

SAD chief Sukhbir Badal today posted on X: “The government has now abandoned horse owners and dealt a death blow to their trade by scrapping Asia’s largest annual horse show and market at Sri Muktsar Sahib on flimsy grounds.”

The post further read: “Horse shows are being held in Pushkar, Sriganganagar and Hanumangarh in Rajasthan and the government’s claim that they may contribute to spreading glanders disease is not believable.”

Gurprit Singh Brar, president, Sarpanch Union, Muktsar, said: “After the Maghi Mela in January this year, no horse fair or market has been organised in the state. If the situation remains similar for a few more months, a number of horse breeders will leave this profession.”

Dr Gurditt Singh Aulakh, Deputy Director, Animal Husbandry Department, Muktsar, said: “The ban has been put in place due to the glanders disease. There is no treatment available for the disease and the only option is to euthanise an infected horse.”

About Rajasthan holding such events, Dr Aulakh said: “The animals which participated there had got fitness certificates from the National Research Centre on Equines from Hisar.”

The official added that horses of ‘Nihangs’ could still perform during the Maghi Mela. “These horses are kept in separate groups and don’t intermix. Thus there is no ban on such activity,” he added.

Sources said that until now, eight cases of glanders disease have been reported in Hoshiarpur, Ludhiana, Bathinda and Amritsar districts. Gurmeet Singh Khudian, Minister for Animal Husbandry Department, said: “I have asked senior officers to discuss this issue. Personally, I think the horse market should be allowed but we have to adhere to the rules and regulations.”