A legacy that was built over 40 years was extinguished in a little less than five minutes. Such was the clinical precision with which the death knell was recently sounded on the decision for Bombay Local History Society (BLHS) to move out of its premises at St Xavier's College. The society had to discontinue its operations from the very same college that had nurtured the city's first ever platform for urban history. We could hear a collective gasp when the office bearers read out the inevitable decision at the SOS session. Known for its outstanding contribution to urban history research, BLHS would now no longer function from the same address on Mahapalika Marg.

Thankfully, when the time came to decide on the fate of the society, most members voted in favour of keeping the society alive rather than shutting shop for good. As a temporary arrangement, the society will run from the home of one of its members. The logistics of it were worked out by concerned members, many of whom got highly emotional while trying to seek answers from the office bearers about the rushed manner in which the decision had been arrived at. Sadly, there were no concrete answers apart from the fact that the society wasn't registered. Despite the efforts by these die-hard Bombayphiles in the room, we felt a sense of deep loss for the city, as the proceedings reached its inevitable conclusion. The whys and hows continued to be debated and discussed by members long after the meeting had ended.