It was quite the scene inside the Durbar Hall of the Asiatic Society. Long lost friends, associates, like-minded architectural and cultural custodians had gathered inside the hallowed interiors of the important landmark, 50 to be precise. They gave it a name too–‘H50’; H representing Heritage. Sir PM and Lady Flora gave each other a victorious glance before stepping into the hall. They hadn’t anticipated large numbers to show up at such short notice for this crucial meet. Perhaps, the heartfelt call from a representative of the Qutub Minar, all the way from Delhi, was the penny-drop moment. The letter was a cry for support, a request for sanctuary and counsel, and to also alert the rest, amidst the mayhem that unfolded in Delhi.

“Welcome, my fellow concerned stakeholders of the heritage movement. I thank you all for coming here to discuss the worrisome scenario that came to light in our sister city,” announced Sir PM, sounding very much like the legal heavyweight from his heyday. Lady Flora followed him, “We must put our heads together to ensure that a similar fate isn’t met in our respective locations in Mumbai, as well as across other cities,” she added, having noticed that emissaries from Charminar, Victoria Memorial and Madras High Court were in the audience. It was a prestigious audience, and it pleased her. “We heard and saw visual evidence that some of our fellow sites were put under tremendous pressure due to a recent international summit in Delhi. From hideous lighting to haphazard, rushed and unnecessary interventions to ‘spruce’ up sites and monuments, these are disturbing developments. It’s not in our best interests to stay quiet about this gross injustice to our historic relevance,” she thundered, leading to a rousing applause.