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Home , Dadar Parsi Colony, Eastern Suburbs (Mumbai), Khotachiwadi

THE DEATH AND LIFE OF HERITAGE

Pankaj Joshi Siddharth Pandit

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MRE15.indb 19 04/12/14 11:42 am ’s built form has, as in any important step, the list focused solely on other mega city, adapted to the local the built form in the island city that was population, economy, the weather, the predominantly colonial and completely city’s historical evolution and social excluded the native heritage existing mix of the people living here. Whether in the western and of it is the forts dotting Mumbai or the Northern Mumbai. The review of this list Art Deco collection that lines Marine was undertaken by the MMR Heritage Drive, the East Indian architecture Conservation Society (MMRHCS) in , Matharpakhadi and was finalized in 2005 with new and ’s Ranwar Village or the additions from the suburbs to the original numerous Parsi and Hindu low rise 1991 list, and forwarded to the Mumbai planned neighborhoods in Mumbai; Heritage Conservation Committee this built form is delicately both global (MHCC), a body under the aegis of and local and works for the people in the Government of . The economy, scale, functionality and social MHCC worked for close to three years expectations. This built form encourages on painstakingly reviewing this list in diversity, vital human interactions and terms of architectural significance of uncompromising tolerance for each the buildings, the social context of the other. It is this diversity, this uniqueness precincts and the rich quality of life that makes Mumbai interesting to its this urban form provided. This process residents and to its visitors. The Heritage focused on both native and colonial Conservation movement began with built form in the true spirit of the city the notion of protecting these stories of and the list was finalized in 2008. The pride for our future generations; it was initial listing of 603 heritage structures never to prioritize colonial over native in 1991 expanded to a comprehensive or vice-versa. Heritage conservation list of about 1500 structures all over is rooted in the belief that citizens are Mumbai in 2008. mere custodians of cities and while cities evolve, there are ties that need to While the heritage list was being be maintained for future generations to articulated by its advocates on human, learn from. The chawls, the mills and design and long term economic the native Parsi and Hindu colonies principles, a powerful force in the city are witnesses to these ties; they teach was also at work, primarily focussing us about the successes, the failures and on short term profit. A large part of the deep struggles of those who passed the real estate community felt that any before us in making Mumbai what recognition of heritage would interfere it is today. with their maximisation of their financial interests. They have tried to reduce Understanding this, the first heritage any insightful and detailed discussion list was proposed in 1991 by the about the housing, environmental Government of Maharashtra. While an and sociocultural aspects of living in

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MRE15.indb 20 04/12/14 11:42 am Mumbai to a misplaced argument of capital. This is not unique to Mumbai; redevelopment and discrimination but fortunately other cities such as New against "locals". York and London too have dealt with this transition and we can learn from them. The finalized list of 2008 was ignored The service economies in these cities had by the MCGM (not surprisingly, the to be augmented with culture to bring senior most official advised MCGM to in tourism, media and entertainment ignore the list and leave the heritage based industries. Restaurants, cafes, structures vulnerable to redevelopment). hotels and other service sectors thrive The next four years saw the heritage in cities where cultural heritage is rich, advocates filing RTIs to seek answers not in cities that look like monolithic to the status of the revised heritage culture neutral Soviet blocks. Tourists list. Due to the unwavering spirit of this all over the world travel to and movement, the MCGM finally relented Mumbai to experience the diversity and published the list in 2012, a full in Banganga, Bandra, Mahalaxmi, seven years after the 2005 list. Dhobi-Ghat, Gaumdevi etc. The tourists bring important livelihood opportunities The damage done to the conservation to tour guides, waiters, rickshaw movement by parts of the real estate and taxi drivers, street vendors; lobby during these lost seven years people who suffered the most from can never be undone; what remains the loss of manufacturing activities. is small and vulnerable to the greed of Undoubtedly, culture is an enabler of this lobby. The wrecking ball of greed these new opportunities, hence loss of masquerading as redevelopment razed culture will lead to economic losses to many important structures, ignoring these masses. community contexts in Khotachiwadi and Willingdon Colony for personal The importance of tourism and a gain. It is doubly important now that vibrant cultural economy assumes we understand the relevance of this serious proportions especially when diminishing pot of riches to the culture, banking and other high tech service economy, the social fabric, housing, the based industries also move out due to environment and strengthening of the due high real estate rental costs in Mumbai. legislative process. Gurgaon and Hyderabad with their new infrastructure and affordable rents Culture and Economy now attract the global service based industry giants. Mumbai’s economy has undergone an wrenching transition to a service With no new cultural landmarks post- economy. Manufacturing has moved independence, Mumbai is left with a very out to other cities such as Pune, Chennai small smattering of heritage landmarks. and Hyderabad with knowledge We are fighting to save about 1500

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MRE15.indb 21 04/12/14 11:42 am structures from a total building footprint life and provided for the of more than 175,000 buildings in maidan, one of the few large public Greater Mumbai. This translates to less open spaces remaining in Mumbai. than 1%. Compare this to about 5000 The architecture is an indigenous landmark sites in New York and about response to the Art Deco movement 500,000 buildings in London that are where the architects blended their preserved for the future. If we lose vernacular symbols with a global out on conserving these remnants of architectural influence prevalent in Mumbai’s built heritage then ‘Mumbai the pre-independence era. Mustansir Darshan’ will be reduced to Gateway Dalvi, of the JJ School of Architecture of India, and Sanjay notes this in his essay, “The buildings Gandhi National Park! around Shivaji Park, Five Gardens and the - estate were Would you rather not preserve the predominantly designed by pioneering buildings and neighbourhoods than Marathi Manoos.” Mr. Dalvi notes build a fake new cultural landmark that architects such as G. B. Mhatre, in the middle of the Arabian Sea S. H. Parelkar, V. M. Suvarnapatki, R. to promote tourism? Our biggest K. Joshi, D. P. Borkar, S. J. Narvekar, resource is our built environment and G. D. Sambhare, G. W. Marathe, D. we should preserve these assets for G. Vaidya, S. M. Kini; Patki, Jadhav our economic development. & Dadarkar, Jaykar & Gupchup, Parelkar, Ovalekar, Gore & Parpia Social Fabric and the Dhurandhar brothers are Maharashtrians and have contributed The one bond that unites most political much to Marathi Asmita. parties is their opposition to heritage conservation. In a lighter vein, it The Samyukta Maharastra Chalval means we’re doing something right. where Acharya Atre spoke to crowds Arguments predictably term us as the of lakhs was held at Shivaji Park. The ‘arrogant elite’ and that we deprive Shiv Sena led by the late Bal Thackeray the local Marathi and Parsi populations had its first rally here and the affinity for of redevelopment benefits. This while Shivaji Park is evident in its headquarters proclaiming to build Shivaji statues and being a stone’s throw away from renaming all monuments after Shivaji to Shivaji Park. Bal Thackeray’s funeral retain the ‘Marathi Asmita’. procession culminated here, witnessed by hordes of his loving followers. The strongest symbol of Marathi fabric and civic mindedness in Mumbai is The sense of this middle class ethos found in the Shivaji Park precinct in and the democratic public space that Dadar. The scheme acknowledged the this precinct has encouraged through importance of open spaces in urban its architecture is evident even today.

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MRE15.indb 22 04/12/14 11:42 am The built form is small and facilitates the real estate prices in Mumbai and communal exchange and face-to- deprives the city of affordable housing. face contact. The older generation Foremost in this opposition are the walks around the maidan and on the bodies MCHI (Maharashtra Chamber of small streets in the neighbourhood. Housing Industry) and PEATA (Practising Grandparents take their grandkids to Engineers, Architects and Town play while exchanging political notes Planners Association) which believes in with their neighbours. A complex order conserving only a few notional symbols of buildings, sidewalks, street vendors, of city architecture and redeveloping sweepers, yoga practitioners, walkers, every inch of the city’s developable housewives watching from balconies land for housing. The members of this and morning joggers produce the body and other real estate lobbies in energy and vitality in Shivaji Park. Mumbai have built only luxury and This lifestyle can never be replicated upper middle class housing over the last in 30-40 storey towers. The notion of 15-20 years while the current shortfall public diversity and social linkages built in low income and affordable housing through “Sarvajanik” public spaces in Mumbai is about 1 million units. That is lost in the monolithic superblock of real estate in Mumbai at the higher wasteful oversimplified architecture. end is stagnating and approaching an When a city or town loses a historic imminent correction which is evident building or a neighbourhood such as from the 180,000 apartments (each Shivaji Park in its center, it loses a piece costing between 1 crore – 150 crores) of its identity; that part of the ‘Asmita’ lying unsold. If the real estate lobby that communities must have to distinguish hearts bleed for affordable housing, themselves, to be cared for and loved. these vacant apartments are the right Mumbai is unique for it allowed such place to start. expressions of local architecture in Shivaji Park and Hindu and Parsi Instead emotions are stirred wrongly colonies to flourish yet integrated them amongst the citizens to kick and punch into the global aspirations of Mumbai. the heritage conservation movement. It is important, that such places be not The same citizens who have suffered just sustainable but also sustained for due to inaction of the government on the the future generations. Rent Act and the Urban Land Ceiling Act now see redevelopment of the buildings Housing as the way to the illusion of affordable home ownership. Home ownership The most rabid and illogical opposition in new developments comes at an to heritage conservation comes from unaffordable price, as much of the new parts of the builder and real estate developments carry north of Rs. 10,000 lobby. The heritage conservation as monthly maintenance charges. movement, they argue, drives up Many of the families who lived in older

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MRE15.indb 23 04/12/14 11:42 am buildings and who don’t earn more than Environment Rs 20,000 a month are either forced to sell off these new apartments because Heritage conservation finds its roots of unaffordability and move north to in the environment movement. Older Mira-Bhayander, , etc., or buildings have a tremendous latent worse, live as outsiders in their own energy stored in them. These structures neighbourhoods. The redevelopment were built during periods when process has robbed them of their central cooling and lighting technologies were location in the city, their personal social not developed. Hence their design connections and banished them to lives incorporated optimum use of sunlight, of stress and 2 hour commutes to their shade and the wind. Additionally lower jobs in . labour costs and material costs allowed owners to build these buildings stronger The redevelopment lobby has and resilient to adaptation. There is never solved the home affordability a huge energy loss in demolishing a issue in Greater Mumbai and their building and then rebuilding it. The arguments for removing heritage are construction debris is dumped in the misleading and at best opportunistic. sea or in mangroves for reclaiming, They have used every FSI incentive causing further environmental damage. given under the Development Control New trendy aesthetics use glass Regulations by MCGM and SRA and facades which put heavy demands have barely scratched the surface for on air-conditioning and lighting. affordable housing. These structures are environmentally unsustainable. If all buildings in The government on its part continues to Mumbai are redeveloped using these languish at solving the housing crisis in standards, the rest of Maharashtra will Mumbai. It ignores the range of ideas become a desert. that experts have mooted to bring down home prices in Mumbai; ideas Heritage conservation does not prohibit that include in-situ provision of services minor repairs or even major ones like to slum communities, investing in more lift installation to adapt to the new public transportation such as rail and lifestyles and an aging population. The road linkages to investing MHCC has actually approved repairs in rental housing, and opening nearby on varying scales based on the request vacant lands for low cost housing. of the residents.

Heritage has become the popular Adaptive reuses of buildings receive whipping boy for these shortcomings the highest “green” rating all over the and for lack of a rational housing world. A city must use old buildings policy. for new ideas just as it might use new buildings for old ideas. Old buildings

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MRE15.indb 24 04/12/14 11:42 am have a greater tolerance for trial of these financial incentives is in and error. Newer construction is less a perpetual state of limbo further environmentally friendly than reusing aggravating the citizens against the existing older construction. heritage movement.

Rule of Law and Legislative The heritage conservation movement Process has seen repeated attempts by parts of the real estate lobby which The heritage conservation movement wants a blanket subversion of these aspires to achieve a balance of participatory dialogues. Part of retaining our ties to history with planned these efforts was to file lawsuits since development and future economic 2012 under the guise of infringing growth. This balance, as in every of constitutional rights to property. other civic matter is achieved through Delicate neighbourhoods at , dialogue and negotiations amongst Shivaji Park, Dadar Parsi Colony and aspirations of the local citizens. Willingdon Colony are the flash points There is a due legislative process of these lawsuits. The MCGM as usual that accommodates suggestions and constituted a review committee under objections to the heritage list and the leadership of former chairman of makes an informed decision after due MHCC to institute the Suggestions and deliberations by the Mumbai Heritage Objections process with the city. This Conservation Committee. committee instead of conforming to the process of eliciting and collating The Development Control Regulation public opinion oversteps its own (DCR) 67 dealing with heritage mandate and begins deleting structures conservation gives explicit and specific and sites in Mumbai, beginning with instructions for Suggestions and Shivaji Park precinct and Shivaji Park Objections under DCR 67(IV). Moreover maidan to appease the builder lobby. under DCR 67(V), the Municipal Shockingly it also frames guidelines Commissioner is empowered to make to encourage high-rise development alterations, modifications or relaxations in the Shivaji Park precinct. What will to the heritage grading but only after happen to the collective sustained effort the Suggestions and Objections process for conservation due to the arbitrary is over and the Mumbai Heritage behaviour of this committee is a scary Conservation Committee is consulted. prospect that remains to be seen.

Part of these deliberations have been The legislative process has to be the drafting of financial incentives completed for a logical conclusion to the package to offset economic hardships, heritage conservation movement; the if any, to the residents in the heritage city should not tolerate any interruptions neighbourhoods. But the finalization in this process.

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MRE15.indb 25 04/12/14 11:42 am Finally… Using the pretext of development and not saving the built heritage is unfair to Cities are complex systems where the the city’s past, present and future. The poor reside with the rich and the old city’s present should solely hand over resides with the new. Mumbai is no the past to the future without destroying different in its tolerance of imperfection it. We, the city’s present are mere in the search for the perfect. This custodians and should treat the city’s continuous conflict has bestowed upon urban form as an inheritance to be Mumbai a unique economic and cultural bequeathed to those coming after us. vitality. It has made Mumbai the magnet Else when the time comes and Mumbai for human migration. The built urban transforms into a cultural economy, heritage is the city’s response to the future generations will have lost hope intensity of economic and social forces. in finding the small slivers of culture This heritage has witnessed Mumbai’s that we today are bent on destroying. lure to people from Maharashtra, Heritage will remain the quiet enabling India and rest of the world and should force for culture, economy, environment therefore be retained as an invaluable and all the good things Mumbai has to resource for future generations to learn offer. We cannot and will not allow it to about the foremost Indian city and the be dispensed off. churn of urbanization in the 20th and the 21st centuries.

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