In his latest documentary series, Empire Journey, presenter Michael Portillo wonders why a free and republic nation like India wants to restore colonial history. An Indian Police Service officer, in-charge of restoring the then British governor’s house in Kolkata, tells Portillo, “It’s a part of our shared history. It was built with the hard work of Indian craftsmen. It might have been designed by the British, but it’s a part of our shared global history. How can we deny our past?” Kolkata, Mumbai or any other place where the British set foot, stamped their authority and exhibited grandeur by building palatial residential and administrative buildings, showcase our the meaningful pieces of history that need to be presented to the people, Indian and foreigners, who yearn to know the subcontinent’s intricate past.

‘One of the best initiatives’
Last week, Mumbai’s administration took a welcome step by opening to the public, the 128-year old British-built headquarters of the city municipal corporation, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). It didn’t happen just like that. It needed political will and personal drive by a millennial Mumbaikar, Aaditya Thackeray, who, after being drafted in his father’s cabinet, sought to steer the tourism department. Showing a certain foresight, he has pushed through some good proposals to explore the state’s enormous tourism potential. A heritage walk through the iconic BMC headquarters is surely one of his best initiatives. Certain parts of the BMC building aren’t out of bounds for visitors who go there for official work, but enjoying a guided tour of the colonial architecture was hardly imagined. Now, the system has been institutionalised, and the promoters won’t expect heritage enthusiasts — professionals and amateurs — to miss this particular guided tour. The stories these serious visitors narrate through various platforms should encourage others to experience the beauty, the grandeur, and the undying strength of the heritage site. The walks should also answer the concerns expressed over conservation work which is carried out frequently by the BMC. The taxpayers must be told what it takes to conserve heritage and why we shouldn’t ignore our history by neglecting such sites that punctuate the city’s expanse.