500 Residents Gather, Galvanizing Support To Save Historic Haveli
Resounding tunes of Vande Mataram filled the atmosphere at a protest meet at Dhobi ni Pol on Sunday morning. More than 500 residents of Khadia area raised cries of protest to save the remains of the memoir of freedom struggle — the United Bengal Home.
The crowds gathered near the front portion of the Haveli — a panel that still stands on a precarious balance as its three-storeyed building has been hollowed out. The residents are agitated over the attempts to pull it down. Prior to singing Vande Matram, Khadia Itihas Samiti and Khadia Sewa Trust announced a signature campaign to support the cause of preserving the remains of Bengal Home and declare it as a national monument, and apart from the 40 families of Dhobi ni Pol, 90 more families joined in the cause.
The residents later gathered together and recited Vande Matram with the Indian flag in their hands. The crowd vehemently opposedcommercialization creeping into pols which is threatening these ancient havelis. They broke into the dilapidated portion of the haveli to check the damage done to this historical structure. Shocked by the sight of the damag e many of the residents were hur t and ooked shattered and agitated.
“Bengal Home and other havelis are being broken to create space for shops and godowns,” said Asha Bhatt, a resident of Dhobi ni Pol. “This process is taking the ife out of walled city.” Another resident, Meera Bhatt, said, “Leave aside he depleting layer of ozone in the environment, for us the irst worry is the depleting heritage structure in pols.”
“This is the beginning of the people’s movement to protect our city’s heritage,” said Ashutosh Bhatt, general secretary of Khadia Itihas Samiti. “Since last month, a major portion of the haveli has gone mysteriously missing, and the residents have not been assured that the rest of the portion would be protected. There is no information available on the developments taking place. We filed an RTI application on December 17 on this matter.”
Pols overrun by commercial activity
Mamu Nayak ni Pol, Gandhi Road Khatri ni Pol, Gandhi Road Verai Pada ni Pol, Gandhi Road Kothari ni Pol, Gandhi Road Patasa ni Pol, Gandhi Road Taliya ni Pol, Sarangpur Ghasiram ni Pol, Sarangpur Sarkivad ni Pol, Sarangpur Mandavi ni Pol, Astodiya Pushpkarna ni Pol, Balahanuman
Pols fighting to preserve heritage
Amrutlal ni Pol, Khadia Lakhia ni Pol, Khadia Desai ni Pol, Khadia Dhobi ni Pol, Khadia Jethabhai ni Pol, Khadia Moto Suthar Vado, Khadia
