Where Lal Cottage once stood is final stop

On the last day of his Pakistan sojourn, BJP president L K Advani wended his way through sanitised streets to the site of his ancestral home. For days the big mystery was whether the site would actually be found. Before setting out from Delhi, he had recalled that it was in Jamshed Quarters, a 10-minute walk from a hillock. He had last seen it in 1978, and wondered if it would still be standing so he could show it to his family.

It is not. Plot No JM 133, Parsi Colony, Karachi now has JJ Luxury Apartments, a five-storeyed structure with 39 flats. But residents of the neighbourhood laid out enough stories and pieces of the old street view to put the guests within touching distance of the past.

The current owner, Iqbal Hussain Jiwani, was ready with a copy of the sale deed for the property, registering the sale of Plot 133, JM (Old Survey Number 37) on November 1, 1947 for Rs 80,000 out of the possession of Kishanchand Dharamdas Advani.

‘‘I was born in this house,’’ was Advani’s understated confirmation of return. ‘‘It used to be called Lal Cottage.’’ His daughter Pratibha, who captured every moment on camera, appeared visibly moved. ‘‘This is a very emotional moment. The sale deed even has my birth date, September 6!’’ ‘‘You were not born then,’’ pointed out her father. ‘‘Yes, but the date was set.’’

Some aspects of Lal Cottage are still around, it’s just that they have been rearranged. To the bungalow opposite the 1350 sq yard plot have been relocated its two gates. Jiwani can in a hurry just find photographs of his wedding ceremony in the bungalow, years before it was pulled down in 1996. He has a photo of the facade, and hopes he will be able to trace it before the old owner leaves for Delhi tomorrow morning. However, three carpets and a steel almirah left behind by the Advanis are at his brother’s house elsewhere.

Mohammed Mansa, resident of the bungalow across, remembers stories of the neighbourhood. ‘‘It used to be called Amil colony,’’ he says. Amils referred to Sindhi Hindus in the professions (those in business were called Shikarpuris). The Parsis lived two lanes away. (Incidentally, Karachi still has about 2000 Parsi residents. They maintain their temple and towers of silence.)

Today the street is typical of Karachi’s post-1947 geography. In this area most of the residents are from Gujarat, and readily identify their native village and towns. Jiwani is a Khoja from Hadiyana in Jamnagar. Many residents of the building are Memons. Memons are mostly connected to the textile trade and the stock exchange.

Houses have been torn down to accommodate apartment blocks. It is a consequence of demography, says a police officer. He estimates that since 1978 Karachi’s population has grown by 330 per cent. In 1947 the city had 400,000 people—it is believed to have passed the 10 mn mark many years ago.

Elsewhere Karachi, its remaining Anglo-Indian buildings and ethic diversity bringing Mumbai to mind, has lost all landmarks to orient old residents. Kamla Advani too set out this morning to find her family home, also in Parsi colony. But the Regal Cinema from which she could have paced her steps has been demolished. Never mind, she says later at Jamshed Quarters, this is also my house.