Where is the pride for Mumbai?

Last week a handful of heritage lovers yours truly included in the city did a leap of joy with the news that Mumbairsquos proposal mdash the Victorian Gothic and Art Deco ensemble along with the Oval Maidan mdash had made the trip to Paris for a dossier check as one of the nominations for UNESCO World Heritage Site status The evaluations will continue till November as Mumbairsquos case along with Delhirsquos and countless other global contenders will undergo a thorough check by the powers that be David Sassoon Library File pic Itrsquos a small step but a definitive one nevertheless for Mumbai to be out there mdash staking its claim for a third and much deserved World Heritage Site after the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus and Elephanta Caves While this newspaper reported on the news in its October 2 edition it was met with plenty of excitement Facebook likes et al mdash you know the drill But from experience and as has been the norm in a few daysrsquo time public memory of this development will fade away Come Januaryend 2014 and the Union Ministry of Culture will have to decide between Delhi and Mumbai as the lone nomination to represent the country Every country can send one nomination only It will be a tough call and irrespective of which side the decision goes we as citizens of this great city should continue to view our urban heritage with a sense of pride Itrsquos a belief which sadly seems amiss among many of our citizens Often at social dos and public events including book readings one has been party to comments where talk veers to this particular aspect of our city Typically we Mumbai are sized up against ldquogreat Londonrdquo or ldquostunning Barcelonardquo even ldquomystical Beijingrdquo But when it comes to Mumbai the collective sighs are almost unanimous Often these socalled welltravelled people of the world have no clue about the breathtaking mix of architectural styles planning marvels and visionary designs that went into creating the city Instead random terms and names are dropped based on hearsay social media mentions to hide ignorance of their own cityrsquos marvels Barring a few strong voices in its favour rarely does one come across a sense of prestige and respect in hardselling the cityrsquos wonders and praising its grandeur on the world tourist map Apathy and dismal conditions about its sights and sounds are the usual catchwords at such gatherings Suggestions like ldquoYou should drop by the David Sassoon Libraryrdquo or ldquoWalk down Ballard Estate to gaze at its well laid out buildings and donrsquot miss the decadent yet ornate Port Trust Memorialrdquo are almost never heard Instead yoursquoll come across a trail of options on how to savour the soul of Londonrsquos Greenwich area or New Yorkrsquos lesserknown boroughs Get the drift Yes our heritage is in dire need of more than a facelift and yes we need to respect these reminders of a great city But if our citizens lack a sense of belonging for Mumbai and hardly seem keen to learn about and thereby wear a sense of pride for their city as its ambassadors pray then who will mdash The writer is Features Editor MiD DAY u00a0