50 Pols Join Fight To Save United Bengal Home, Other Structures
The battle to save United Bengal Home in Dhobi ni Pol is all set to snowball into a major movement to save heritage structures across the walled city. Residents of nearly 50 pols of Khadia have put up a united front to oppose commercial activity in heritage buildings.
The residents mobilized themselves after word spread that United Bengal Home was being converted into a commercial building. The home is associated with the Independence movement as freedom fighters from Bengal sang Vande Mataram for the first time in Gujarat here. “The information we have received so far shows that the home is owned by a community organization,” says Khadia MLA Bhushan Bhatt. “I have asked the members to show me what permission they have from the municipal authorities, but they have not produced any documents yet.”
To fire up their protests, the residents will sing Vande Mataram at the home at 10 am on Sunday. A string of organizations like Khadia Sewa Trust, Khadia Itihas Samiti, Desai ni Pol Yuvak Mandal and Varso among others will join the protests. Well-known architects, archaeologists and historians will also be present.
Dr Hemant Bhatt, a member of Desai ni Pol Yuvak Mandal, said, “Residents of Dhobi ni Pol and Desai ni Pol have passed a resolution against allowing commercial activity in heritage structures. We have similar assurances from the 50 pols in Khadia and hope to spread the word in the rest of walled city.”
Secretary of the Khadia Itihas Samiti, Ashutosh Bhatt adds, “We plan to meet municipal corporation authorities and the police for help. If more commercialization is allowed in the walled city, it would lead not only to merciless destruction of ancient buildings but also increase traffic chaos.” Residents say allowing commercial buildings to come up within pols would turn the narrow passages into an unmanageable nightmare.
