KARACHI: History has come to a halt. This means historians and writers are waiting, even those who are already immersed in work, for the coronavirus pandemic to disappear from the face of the earth, after which they will recount their view of that part of mankind’s collective history. Some of Karachi’s colonial buildings — which up until the lockdown was enforced buzzed with activity — now stand quiet and lonely. One of them is Frere Hall.

All those who have a keen interest in the development of Karachi as a bustling urban town are familiar with the name Bartle Frere, who was appointed commissioner of Sindh in 1850 and governor of Bombay in 1862. Frere Hall is a magnificent neo-Gothic building constructed in 1863 to recognise the services of Bartle Frere. It was opened to the public two years later. The reason for its construction was to use it as a civic gathering space. The commemorative plaque at its entrance reads: “The Frere Hall Erected By the People of Sind As A Memorial of their Esteem and Gratitude to His Excellency the Honourable Sir Henry Bartle Edward Frere Governor of Bombay and Formerly Commissioner in Sind For His Able and Successful Administration of the Affairs of This Province During a Lengthened Rule of Nearly Nine Years. Building Commenced August 1863, Opened for the Public on the 10th Day of October 1865.”

But a lesser known fact about the former governor of Bombay has to do with the world of literature. He had five children, the eldest of which was Mary Frere. She was born in 1845 and breathed her last in 1911. Mary was a poet and deeply interested in the cultural kaleidoscope that the subcontinent was and still is. Since her father had to travel a great deal within India, for he would be regularly posted to one part of the country to another, his children accompanied him. During one such trip, Mary had an ayah called Anna Liberata de Souza with her (this piece of information is available in books and on the internet). Her chitchat with the ayah enabled Mary to compile the tales that Anna told her into a book. This gave birth to the publishing of Old Deccan Days also known as Hindoo Fairy Legends in Southern India. One hasn’t read the book because one doesn’t know whether it’s available in any of our libraries, including the one that’s housed in the hall.

Today, Frere Hall cuts a silent picture. No one is going to and coming from it. The building, with all its architectural and literary glory, is waiting for the resumption of normality so that historians can add another chapter about it in their books.

Published in Dawn, April 28th, 2020