House of memories

A perpetual dispute over its possession cannot take away the historical significance of Jinnah’s house in Mumbai.

Shortly after Partition, Nehru sent the Indian High Commissioner in Pakistan to Jinnah’s residence in Karachi to find out his views on the house he had built and abandoned in Mumbai.

The mansion, which is prime property today, was an imposing mansion in those days. Jinnah recounted to Panditji how he had built it brick by brick. He said that it was a piece of his heart and Nehru should not break his heart. Jinnah died shortly thereafter, but Nehru respected his feelings and the then Indian government gave the house on rent to the British High Commission.

The Jinnah house was impeccably maintained by the high commission till the time of its occupancy, following which the house lay abandoned with a dispute over its ownership between India and Pakistan. Because of the dispute, the possession of the mansion passed on to the Saarc secretariat, which never bothered about maintaining it. Today, the house lies in criminal neglect.

I have always been of the opinion that the possession of Jinnah’s house should either be handed over to the legal heir apparent of the mansion, or the Government of India should take responsibility for its maintenance. Now, Jinnah’s ageing daughter Dina Wadia wants to reclaim possession of her father’s bungalow and spend her last days here. The Saarc secretariat should heed her demand and give her possession of the mansion, on the condition she maintains it properly, without looking for commercial gain.

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