Traditional 'tongas' gather popularity in Jammu border belt amid PM appeal to save fuel

R S PURA/JAMMU: (May 18) Traditional horse-driven tongas, once a common mode of transport in the border areas of Jammu, are seeing an increase in the number of takers in the R S Pura sector following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's appeal for fuel conservation.

The tongas, which historically ferried passengers between Jammu and Sialkot before Independence, have continued to survive in parts of R S Pura for more than seven decades. Locals and tourists alike 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.

"We have been running tongas here for decades. Before 1947, people used to travel from Sialkot to Jammu in tongas. 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," said Teja Singh, a traditional tanga operator.