Gujarat High Court issues notice over 'gifting' of office premises to trust in charge of Sabarmati Ashram re-development

Ahmedabad: The Gujarat High Court on Friday issued notice to the state government and a private individual over the "gifting" of office premises to the government-run trust that is implementing the Rs 1,200 crore redevelopment of Mahatma Gandhi founded Sabarmati Ashram. The court refused to grant the status quo after it was submitted that the concerned office may be demolished by the authorities.

The matter concerns Khet Bhavan, the head office of a trust Gujarat Khet Vikas Parishad (GKVP), which is located adjacent to Sabarmati Ashram. The office was recently acquired by Mahatma Gandhi Sabarmati Memorial Trust (MGSAMT), the government-run trust, which is overseeing the redevelopment of Sabarmati Ashram.

One of the factions of the GKVP trust through a "gift deed" handed over the property to MGSAMT. The other faction has challenged the decision in the high court. Appearing for petition Atul Dave, who is said to be the president of the GKVP, advocate PS Champaneeri said that "the action of charity commissioner to initiate a proceeding under section 36 is illegal as such proceeding (gift deed) can be done only by unanimous decision of the trustees which is not the case and people who did it were not even authorised."

Champaneri argued in the court that the charity commissioner ought to have inquired whether the procedure was followed or not before taking cognisance. Following a brief hearing, Justice Vaibhavi Nanavati issued a notice. She, however, refused to grant status quo after Champaneri informed that the building of Khet Bhavan had been sealed and could be demolished. The court will hear the matter next week.

Champaneri told DH that GKVP runs about 18 schools imparting education to poor students hailing from scheduled castes and scheduled tribes, among other downtrodden communities. He said that schools are run based on Gandhian principles. "The importance of Khet Bhavan is that it is the only office that the trust has."

Khet Bhavan is hailed as a "landmark" place from where many socio and political movements were run. It was founded by Jinabhai Darji, the Congress leader hailed as a champion of tribal rights and prominent social worker Indukumar Jani. "Khet Bhavan also was a centre for 'Pro-people' left intellectual and secular discourse and action debates and discussions," said Sudarshan Iyenger, the Gandhian scholar and former vice-chancellor of Mahatma Gandhi founded-Gujarat Vidyapith.

"It was one of the leading voices of backward and minority communities in the state which had the backing of many political parties including leftists and Congress. Its left-leaning influenced Congress and came up with the KHAM (Kshatriya, Harijan, Adivasi and Muslim) strategy. Although it is becoming a past, it was one of the important bastions of the movement. If it finally goes (demolished), it will be a huge symbolic loss," Iyenger said.

This is the latest dispute over the redevelopment of Sabarmati Ashram. Earlier, scores of scholars and Gandhian institutions had criticised the government and alleged that the redevelopment plan would turn the Ashram, an embodiment of Gandhi's simplicity, into a "grand tourist and entertainment zone."