KU, don’t do this to yourself

This refers to the editorial, ‘Conserving KU’ (Dec 3). The editorial illuminated the difference between ‘development and conservation’. Indeed, our country lacks such insight. Conservation has a wider context, which includes historically significant monuments and buildings, besides the growing natural environment and its protection for a healthy living. The conservation of architecture that symbolises intellect and effort to propagate knowledge means a lot to a nation and its future generation.

Unfortunately, and as referred to in the editorial as well, the zest to make changes and grow in some direction often gets entangled with the neglect of old architecture built with skill and aesthetically unique values – like the Dr Mahmood Hussain Library of Karachi University. It was very alarming for most of the faculty when suddenly huge cranes appeared in campus and started cutting down cherry blossom trees in the dark of the night; the trees being re-implanted on odd places. This was the beginning of the construction of an adjacent building for a new library. Before this goes any further,  environmentalists and historians belonging to Karachi must show their concern over this disaster and advise the authorities to reconsider their decision.

Prof (r) Dr Zahoor H Baber

Former chairman, Department of Philosophy

University of Karachi