The Gujarat High Court rejected a petition filed by Mahatma Gandhi’s great-grandson Tushar Gandhi opposing the Sabarmati Ashram redevelopment project on Thursday after the state government assured that it would “not touch” three key attractions in the one-acre area housing the main ashram.
After Advocate General Kamal Trivedi assured that the redevelopment will take place only in the 55-acre area surrounding the main ashram, the division bench of Chief Justice Arvind Kumar and Justice AJ Shastri dismissed the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) on the first hearing.
“The government has assured that the existing Ashram, which covers one acre, will not be disturbed and will be preserved in its current state. Thus, the government’s order clears up the petitioner’s fears and apprehensions “Chief Justice Kumar stated that the PIL was rejected.
“This petition does not have to be discussed. We are disposing of it in light of the government’s submissions “He stated.
On behalf of the government, Advocate General Kamal Trivedi informed the bench in his submission that three major attractions within the main premises – the Gandhi Ashram, the museum within it, and Magan Niwas – will not be affected.
“It has been reported that we are constructing an amusement park in the Gandhi Ashram. It’s not what we are doing. When the Statue of Unity or the Sabarmati Riverfront were mentioned, people had a similar reservation “In his opening remarks, the Advocate General stated
“People come to see three things: the Gandhi Ashram, the museum inside, and Magan Niwas, where Gandhiji’s disciple once lived. These three locations total one acre in size. We’re not going to mess with it. We plan to develop 55 acres of land surrounding this specific location “Mr. Trivedi specified.
He also informed the court that the government intends to restore 46 old and dilapidated houses near the Ashram, which Mahatma Gandhi founded on the banks of the Sabarmati River over 100 years ago.
“We’re going to repair them. We intend to construct a greenery-filled sidewalk. I can complete the blueprint in two weeks. We are not constructing a theme park. Whatever we do will be consistent with Gandhian philosophy and ethos “According to the Advocate General.
Senior advocate Bhushan Oza, representing Tushar Gandhi, stated that the Ashram premises is a historical monument that must be preserved and protected, and that redevelopment will “change the character of the entire ashram, which is there with historical significance.”
The Chief Justice was not persuaded, he stated “They (the government) have stated that they will not interfere with the Ashram. What else do you require?”
When Bhushan Oza raised the issue of “bulldozers coming and bulldozing the houses that had been there for thirty years near the Ashram,” citing newspaper reports, the Chief Justice asked him to file a civil suit because “other issues cannot be part of the PIL.”
Tushar Gandhi, the grandson of Mahatma Gandhi’s third son Mani Lal, filed the petition in October, claiming that the state government’s 1,200-crore Gandhi Ashram Memorial and Precinct Development Project “violates the wishes and philosophy of the Father of the Nation.”
The PIL argued that the state should not be allowed to intervene, citing Gandhi’s constitution. According to Smarak Nidhi, Bapu’s Ashram and memorials should be kept free of government and political influence.
The project intends to develop the Ashram in the manner in which it existed during Mahatma Gandhi’s time, when it was spread across 35 to 40 acres and housed 63 heritage properties, 48 of which are still standing.
For several years, Gandhiji lived in the sprawling grounds known as the Gandhi Ashram, from which he carried out major political and social activities during the freedom movement.