Let teamwork to preserve history extend city-wide

The garden near KEM Hospital where the cannons will be placed

Two rare wrought iron cannons lying for ages amid dust, traffic and pollution in Parel may find a respectable place at a garden circle near KEM Hospital, thanks to the efforts of local history buffs and experts.

The two cannons were lying near an old petrol pump. They had been buried muzzle down for ages. The plot where they lay may soon go for redevelopment, so activists have had to move fast, a report said in this paper.

With an expert calling them historical markers of the city that need to be preserved, efforts are on to install them at a small traffic junction garden near KEM Hospital, Parel, where the cannons can be placed on wheels. Local BMC officials said they will help in the preservation.

It is noteworthy that this initiative to preserve our history has so many different people involved. There are the enthusiasts. Then, there are experts who give this perspective and are a guiding hand to the history buffs.

Finally, there is the local government machinery that is going to make all this happen, as paperwork and permissions are a big part of any such drive and necessary for it to succeed. It is stirring to see all cogs in the wheel whirring, with everybody being on the same side, making an effort so that the city retains a slice of its history.

An entire chain, from finding the past treasures, to recognising their importance and now ensuring they get a place to be preserved, is working in sync.

People power, organised and informed effort and the administration and authorities pitching in, only spells good for Mumbai. We want this teamwork to extend to other facets of the city too, for cooperation is smoother than confrontation.