A broad white line drawn from the road to the footsteps of a wing in a housing society has disturbed the peace that had existed for over two decades in Ghatkopar area of Eastern Mumbai. The line was said to have been painted on the partner blocks laid inside the society premises of Kailas Avenue which has 33 flats.
Out of 33, 7 flats are owners by the Vedpathak family who are the land owners and their son Prasad who is a social media influencer and had put out the video. He says that he uploaded the video about the white painted line being drawn on a shared space inside the society only after he did not get a response from the housing society committee which had permitted for it to be painted.
The video has been shared by over four thousand people and liked by over 17,000 and has many people commenting from both sides.
HOW CAN LINE BECOME HURTFUL
There are about five flats owned by Jain community members who said that it was just a line that was drawn and how can a line become a reason for someone feeling hurt about it? Bhoomi Sanghvi, who had directed the line to be drawn, explained that Jain monks visit residences to collect bhiksha, but during rains they do not come to the housing societies as moss spreads over all the paver blocks. “The moss has lot of living microorganisms and the monks do not want to trample them so they do not come to the housing societies. This white paint was being put all over Ghatkopar. On footpaths as well as other housing societies, so we decided to do it for the first time,” she said.
Sanghvi added that permission from the housing society committee was taken and creating a ruckus inside the housing society was the last thing on their mind and if anyone was really hurt, then they would never do it again. She said society could wait for the paint to be washed on its own during rain and as time passes by, it will get lighter and vanish.
However, Prasad sought an immediate removal of the paint as he said that religious practices cannot be followed in shared spaces of society. Prasad said, “We have a religious practice called gondhal where we sacrifice goats and chicken. We are Maharashtrians and are the original inhabitants of this place. Should we start following our religious practices inside society premises?” He pointed out that there are other Gujarati, Christian, North Indians too staying in society and all of them have individually supported him in raising the voice against the white line being drawn across the shared premises.
Rajesh Sanghvi who also lives in society, said that if the housing committee approves, the sacrifices could be made according to each flat owner’s religious beliefs, while Bhoomi did not say anything.
Prasad had even sent a formal letter to the housing society committee on June 5 to raise a formal Objection and demand for Removal of Religious Markings Painted on Common Area Flooring.
Talking about the painted line, he said, “It is a permanent physical alteration of the common area and effectively introduces a religiously motivated marking into a shared residential space. Such actions create divisions among residents and raise serious concerns regarding equal treatment, the neutrality of common the arbitrary exercise of power by the Managing Committee of the housing society.”
He had given seven days to the housing society to respond to his letter and they are yet to do so.
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