From page 29
Few years passed by when
the head of the Nihang
Dal, Baba Santa Singh,
died and left behind him
the battle, the bloodshed,
the bloody war of succession. Few got bullets, she
the one surviving, whose
four close relatives died in
the gun battle, succeeded
the post of Head Nihang
Dal. This bloody feud had
its impact on horses and
thousands of other Nihangs. Many got uprooted. Hundreds went absconding, many behind bars…! Horses were the first to get affected. And this
was the time I saw Karamati the second time. Tears in his eyes, limping
from his front leg, structure of barebones. May his soul rest in peace.
I went to meet the Dal head at some function at Anandpur in Punjab.
Amid high security, he met me after a day long wait in 42° C hot weather,
and not even a drop to drink. I offered him money, he accepted. Looking at
me he uttered, “What you want?" His jaws dropped when I asked for a
horse, as he never expected money for a horse. Horses were headache for
him. He promised me that I will get Karamati when Dal traces him and
finds where Karamati is, in which part of India. Here it is pertinent to say
that Nihangs travel all across India on horse back.
Finally I got Karamati after two months of my meeting with Nihang
Head. He was in bad shape. I still have that picture of him I clicked when
he reached my farm in bad state. Now was the time to nourish him, feed
him, treat him. Karamati was home finally, but my happiness was short
lived when I got a call from Nihangs that they require Karamati at some
religious procession at Talwandi Sabo. I was comfortable with his going
there as he belonged to the Guru (Lord). I arranged everything from
medicine to fodder and transportation to send him there on the promise that
he will be back with me in one week’s time.
It was April when I sent him, and it was November when I was still
waiting for his return as the Nihangs wanted more money. I paid three more
times to again transport him back to my farm in November, but this was not
Karamati I got. It was a skeleton. He was dying of wounds on his back and
fore left leg.