Social media users unite for 100-year-old pride

MHOW: As the demolition of the historical and majestic building of the Mhow Military Hospital (MH) started last week, social media was flooded with posts condemning the demolition since it is among the first few buildings constructed by the British in Mhow cantonment.
Interestingly, not only the armymen, but the civilians too opposed the move. As vociferous opponents of the demolition they said that the 100-year-old building should be preserved and the new building can be constructed at the open area on the MH premises.
MH has a group of buildings, which are visible from the Mall road and almost every part of the cantonment because of its placement at a prominent hillock place, few metres from the Mall road.
Construction of many of the new MH buildings has been completed and they have become functional, while the old building is being demolished by the contractors of Military Engineers Services (MES) to pave way for construction of another new building.
MH building is among the first few huge buildings, which the British made after they set up a military cantonment in Mhow following the Mandsaur treaty with the Holkars. The treaty was executed in 1818 and Mhow Fort came up in 1821.
A map of that time suggests that there were very few huge buildings apart from the fort at that time.
Denzil Lobo, a Mhow based historian, who has carried out extensive research on Mhow and written several books on its rich and legendary history, said, "MH building is among the few other buildings that were constructed when the British forces were brought to Mhow following the 1857 mutiny.
Along with this building, MCTE barracks, British Artillery barracks (present day Army School) and Connaught barracks were also constructed for British troops."