Hindu Gymkhana chaos  

Hindu Gymkhana chaos  

Hindu Gymkhana chaos  

Hindu Gymkhana`. Photo: Facebook

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KARACHI: The Hindu Gymkhana in Karachi has still not been reinstated as a heritage site, despite orders from the Supreme Court, and the current occupant of the premises, the National Academy of Performing Arts (Napa) is yet to vacate the recreational area.

Though the apex court had been issuing directives to authorities for the past three years to get the building vacated and grant substitute land to Napa, the officials have been passing the buck on the matter.

Although the Napa graduates have made a mark in performing arts with their skilful performances, using the heritage site as an art academy and that too illegally has raised questions on the administration’s role.

The activists, who had raised voices against the decision to convert the heritage site into an art academy, believe that instead of occupying a heritage site, the institution should have been established in the Education City (EC), a Sindh government project that provides a superb environment and facilities for both teaching and studying and is backed by outstanding learning institutions and technological research centres.

Read more: Supreme Court orders removal of marquees from Hindu Gymkhana

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The EC has been established on 8,921 acres of land in Deh Chuhar, Gadap, District Malir on the link road between National Highway and Superhighway, now known as M9. Though distant from the main city, the location is ideal for establishing educational institutions with large campuses because of its spacious and well-established landscape.

The Hindu Gymkhana is, therefore, a case where the laws, meant to conserve the country’s heritage, have been tampered with, with the collusion of elements in official quarters. It was originally built as a recreational club for Hindus, and later on was declared a heritage site after the exodus of wealthy Hindus from the metropolis.

The place, once bustling with cultural activities of the Hindu community since 1927, became deserted after the migration of wealthy Hindus to India. And, with no ownership, the site became an exploited treasure trove that was robbed gradually. As a result, the Hindu Gymkhana which was spread over 47,000 square yards of land in 1927, is now left with only 4,500 square yards of land — some 10 times smaller than its structure.

Gradual decline

It all started in 1978 when almost 60 per cent of its land was allotted to the police department. In the same year, around 6,000 square yards more was allotted to the Federal Public Service Commission. Almost 3,500 square yards were given to the Aligarh Muslim University for which the university’s management paid a sum of Rs173,050. A businessman, Abdul Majeed Khan, was also favoured with an allotment of some 400 square yards.

Then, the Hindu Gymkhana was taken over by the Evacuee Trust Property Board. The premises was then also protected by the Sindh Cultural Heritage Protection Act that barred all illegal construction works, repairs, and renovations of the structure. However, due to the building’s deteriorating condition, its structural demolition was planned in 1984. But the Heritage Foundation opposed the idea and suggested the preservation of the Hindu Gymkhana building as a national heritage site.

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This historic building, widely considered to be an architectural gem in Karachi, has been through many legal battles. In 1960, activists Bhagwandas Chawla, Khubchand Bhatia, and Seth T. Motandas led a movement for the repossession of the Hindu Gymkhana to the Hindu community. But they called off the movement due to the 1965 war against India. Later on, it was restarted, but got suspended due to the 1971 war that witnessed the dismemberment of the country’s eastern wing.

In 1980, the movement was once again given momentum by Ramesh Mana, the co-chairperson of the Pak-Hindu Welfare Association during Gen Ziaul Haq’s rule when it was decided in principle to sell the Hindu Gymkhana. Later on, P.K. Shahani, a Hindu activist, toiled in pushing the parliamentarians to raise the issue in the National Assembly. He was successful, as the lawmakers decided to put the Hindu Gymkhana on the list of heritage sites under the Sindh Heritage Act.

In the mid-1980s, the then regime wanted to demolish the Hindu Gymkhana to pave way for the construction of a multistorey structure to accommodate provincial government offices. But the Heritage Foundation put its foot down and foiled the plan. The Heritage Foundation then came forward and submitted a plan for its renovation into a museum of folk heritage. But in 2005, the then ruler Gen Pervez Musharraf allocated the historical structure to Napa on a 30-year lease with a view to save the building from total decay. The decision was vehemently opposed by the Hindu community in Pakistan, and also by a number of activists.

Now it remains to be seen when the law enforcers implement the Supreme Court order in letter and spirit with regard to the Hindu Gymkhana structure that has been standing decades before the creation of Pakistan.

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