Mumbai: 'New' residents of Byculla make case for retaining precinct's rich history

ldquoItrsquos more for them than usrdquo are the words of Pamela Bubber a resident of Planet Godrej a posh fivetower residential property at KK Road that connects Mahalakshmi with Byculla Bubber is referring to the Byculla Memory Project which launched on Monday right in her neighbourhood Initiated by residents of the 46storey towers developed on Simplex Mill lands the project is a twopronged effort to beautify their neighbouhood through tactical urbanism and showcase Bycullarsquos rich industrial heritage and the workingclass history The project it is hoped will cut through the strong ldquousrdquo and ldquothemrdquo class divide thatrsquos obvious in central Mumbai where defunct mill lands have been redeveloped as residential propertiesArtist Harshvardhan Kadam paints the compound wall of Planet Godrej to mark the launch of the Byculla Memory Project on Monday PicsAjinkya SawantA mural painted by artist Harshvardhan Kadam aka Ink Brush N Me is the first to come up as part of the Byculla Memory Project Painted on the compound wall of Planet Godrej it geographically marks Jacob Circle on one end with Byculla on the other and depicts in a Mario Mirandaish fashion the different communities that once inhabited the stretch mdash Jews Jacob Circle is named after Sir Jacob Sassoon for instance Muslims Hindus and Christians It also takes into account the notable architectural gems strewn around such as Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum the Khada Parsi statue and the Gothic Gloria ChurchPlanet Godrej residents Harjith Bubber left and Sandeep Gadodia right and BIT Chawl resident and fireman Dharmendra AgarkarExplaining Kadamrsquos mural to us industrialist Harjith Bubber who has been at the forefront of the project says that the space beneath the mural will be cleaned up and street furniture will be brought in for the residents of the Bombay Improvement Trust BIT Chawl who live opposite On Tuesdayrsquos windy evening we saw BIT Chawl residents sit on tiled platforms near a memorial to Dr Amebdkar on one end of the wallldquoPeople from across the street can come and use this space more if there is a proper seating arrangementrdquo says BubberSeated near a vast aquamarine pool in Godrej Planet Bubber says that in terms of urban placemaking this a winwin situation ldquoResidents from Godrej Planet may not physically use the seating outside or the mural However we can use it mentally as a space that we are arriving inrdquo he saysThe mural has become a hit with those within and outside the colony as a great selfie pointBeauty in historyTaking the project further ahead say Bubber and former industrialist Sandeep Gadodia there will be a stress on the textile mills and the unionised movements that Byculla has witnessed over the last century On Wednesday morning we are joined by Dharmendra Agarkar a fireman in E Ward who lives in the BIT Chawl opposite Planet Godrej Enthused by the mural when it was getting made earlier in the week Agarkar shares childhood memories of how workers from Simplex Mills rejoiced in between shifts ldquoWith dhols and lezims the workers would play music or play games like kabaddirdquo says Agarkar who has been living in BIT Chawl since his birth 49 years agoAgarkar could lay claim to Byculla as he swiftly points out its various historical aspects He points to a flat in BIT once occupied by poet and activist Namdeo Dhasal Further down the lane towards Jacob Circle lived Bhai Sangare a Dalit Panther leader Byculla Fish Market is where Ambedkar was married the Elphinstone High School where Ambedkar was schooled is also in the precinct ldquoRight from the Samyukta Maharashtra Movement to gang wars Byculla has seen it allrdquo says Agarkar BIT Chawl for instance was built in 1923Gurbir Singh an awardwinning senior journalist and resident of Planet Godrej says ldquoThis project is for residents of Byculla to come together as communities in creating a more friendly neighbourhood There is an onus on new properties and residents of gated communities to link with other residents as part of the city transform from the industrial age to residential areasrdquoThe residents of Planet Godrej including Nisaba Godrej executive director at Godrej Cosumer Products Ltd have collaborated with The Urban Vision a thinkdo tank on livable cities to make various urban elementsPrathima Manohar the founder of The Urban Vision says ldquoCurrently development in the city is monoculture several things in the neighbourhood may seem commonplace but we have to build public opinion around these thingsrdquo The longterm goal will include outdoor spaces such as a reading corner for children in a garden quality footpaths and heritage markers in the areaThe Monday launch was attended by Ramakant Rahate E Ward corporator who said ldquoBMCrsquos rules and regulations will be followed for the Byculla Memory Project which will be a way to beautify the placerdquo