Jinnah house: Pakistan founder Mohammad Ali Jinnah built a magnificent bungalow in Malabar Hill area of ​​Mumbai in 1936, named ‘South Court’. This is a storey and beautiful villa, which is now being renovated. The final approval of the Ministry of External Affairs (Mea) is being awaited for this work. According to the TOI report, the Ministry of External Affairs wants to make this bungalow a special diplomatic enclave.

The Mumbai Heritage Conservation Committee (MHCC) approved the repair of this heritage site (Grade II A Heritage Site) in August 2023. The Ministry of External Affairs has assigned this work to the Central Public Works Department (CPWD), and he has appointed Sir JJ College of Architecture as advisor to this project. Interestingly, Jinnah’s house with this art deco style was designed by Cloud Batley, who was the head of the Architecture Department at the JJ School of Arts at that time.

ICCR decided to hand over the Ministry of External Affairs in 2018

In 2018, the Prime Minister’s Office decided that this bungalow, known as ‘Jinnah House’, would be handed over from the Indian Cultural Relations Council (ICCR) to the Ministry of External Affairs. In 2017, the then Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj wrote a letter to Malabar Hill MLA Mangal Prabhat Lodha. In it, he had told that the Ministry of External Affairs will repair and decorate this bungalow like Hyderabad House in Delhi.

There may be many internal changes in Jinnah House

According to the documents received by TOI, the proposal made to the Mumbai Heritage Conservation Committee (MHCC) has been said to use and make changes of Jinnah House (about 39,000 sq ft bungalow). It has been said in this proposal that the bungalow will be converted into an office from the place of living and it will also have necessary repairs, changes and gardening work.

Documents states that this work includes removal of plants, plaster, painting, doors, windows and ventilaters repair and renovation. Along with this, strong repair of the bungalow, mason work, re -construction of front stairs, new beams and columns and increasing the place by removing the inner walls on the first floor. All these works will be done without damaging the specialty of heritage.

Heritage Committee visited in 2023

When the Heritage Committee visited the site in the mid -2023, he advised that old furniture, chandeliers, fittings and other items should be repaired and used again. He also said that the boundary wall of the bungalow should be made of stone as before so that it matches the old design.

People associated with the project say that all the necessary approvals and schemes are ready, but now the final green signal is awaited from the central government so that the work can be started. According to the documents, the Ministry of External Affairs (Mea) has not yet made any change in any part of the bungalow nor demanded much construction. But it has been said that some beauty changes can be made inside to show India’s identity, history and culture.

Jinnah’s only daughter filed a petition

Jinnah’s only daughter Dina Wadia filed a petition in the Bombay High Court in 2007 to get ownership of this property. After his death, the court allowed his son Nusli Wadia to advance the petition. Jinnah House is considered to be the “Evacuee Property” i.e. the property of the person who has left India after March 1, 1947 and went to Pakistan.