Irked over a proposed Bombay Municipal Corporation (BMC) move to redraw ward boundaries, the residents of Mancherji Edalji Joshi Parsi Colony of Dadar have voiced their dissatisfaction about the housing estate being separated from the Five Gardens. "How can they do this?” an indignant Zarine Engineer, member of the Mancherji Edalji Joshi Colony Residents Association (MEJCRA) told Parsiana on May 26, 2017. The granddaughter of Mancherji Joshi, who was the moving spirit behind the founding of the Colony, reiterates that before the buildings were built, Joshi had planned the 14 gardens in the area. "We are trying to preserve the Colony as it is,” she informs. "MEJCRA is the organization that gets broken gutter covers fixed, and people call us "ké ai jhaar pari gayuch (that this tree has fallen)… Now they are trying to separate us,” she rues.
The proposal, aimed at an administrative rearrangement of work between wards, "threatens to shift Parsi Colony from their current F North (Matunga) ward to F South (Parel) ward,” according to the MumbaiMirror (MM) of May 22. Five Gardens are to remain in the existing F (North) ward. The reason for discontent among the Colony residents is that "the Parel office (F South) is too far away,” continues the report.
Five Gardens Photo: Jasmine D. Driver
"We have met the councilors of both wards,” says Engineer, adding that in her campaign she is actively supported by Silloo Marker, another MEJCRA member. "We will undertake campaigns if necessary,” Engineer told the newspaper, adding that they "have sought an appointment with the (municipal) commissioner.”
Quoting a civic official, the MM report said that "this (rearrangement) is being done across the city.” The reason given is that if a ward office has very few corporators, it becomes very costly to run the entire setup there. The proposal is expected to be tabled before the General Assembly of the Corporation, if approved by group leaders, the source told the newspaper.
In addition to writing to municipal commissioner Ajoy Mehta to defer the proposal, residents of the Colony have appealed to leaders of political parties. They are reported to have the support of Ravi Raja, the leader of the opposition in the BMC, who lives in the neighboring ward.