Petition Against Defacing Of Mumbai Wall Project

Dr. Jairaj M. Phatak
Municipal Commissioner
Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai
Municipal Head Office
Mahapalika Marg
Mumbai - 400 001

Dear Sir,

We the undersigned write to you in great pain after the events over the last 24 hours. What started off as a wonderful initiative and partnership between the BMC and the citizens of Mumbai has now left a sour taste in the mouth of every Mumbaikar. The Wall Project, a wonderful concept that was extremely well organised and supported by your department on one previous occasion, was again hailed as a great success on Sunday the 25th of October, 2009. Hundreds of Mumbaikars from all walks of life and of all ages, converged once again on Tulsi Pipe Road to convert their love for this great city of ours into something that would beautify the area and bring a smile to its citizens and visitors. Children, teenagers, office goers, house-wives, grandparents all got together and unleashed their creative talents on the bare walls along the railway tracks and converted a boring stretch of road into a colourful sensory experience. They toiled under the hot sun for the whole day, supported by the extremely helpful staff from your Corporation who provided us with paints, brushes, water, tea and a smile. Never before had we seen such a great interaction between the citizens and the BMC, not just in providing a great end result but also in the journey to that destination.

In light of this you can imagine the great disappointment, almost bordering on fury, that overtook these very citizens less than 24 hours later when we first saw movie posters by the hundreds (for the movies Aladin, London Dreams, Gair & Canvas) brazenly pasted all over the paintings we had all put our hearts and souls into. If this was murder it could not have been more clinical or painful. Our hearts broke in an instant and our will to further participate in such initiatives was dealt an almost fatal blow. Why would anyone ever put in so much effort again if it was going to be destroyed by such callousness?

But no, this is not the path we are choosing to take, and I hope you and your Corporation can help us in this regard. We will not lie down. We will tear down the posters and we will repaint the walls if we have to. But to make sure something like this does not happen again we would need the Corporation to identify the culprits and make an example of them. Hand out a punishment that will make the next potential criminal (and these are criminals) think twice before he even attempts it. Our city is under attack from those who think its just something to be abused for personal gain, but let us take a stand and make it clear that we value this city more than just for the riches it bestows to us. We have to give back to it as well or one day the city will just fall down and die.

Sir, I hope this petition finds favour with you and we look forward to seeing action from your side and the continuation of great efforts like the Wall Project. Let this event act as a catalyst for hope and not as a victory for cynicism.