SC stays demolition of portions of Sabarmati Ashram

Ahmedabad, June 11: Portions of Mahatma Gandhi's Sabarmati Ashram complex here got a stay from the Supreme Court from being demolished by Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) as part of the city's town planning scheme.

Its trustees have urged the powers to save the national heritage site of international importance.

Gujarat Lok Samiti leader Chunibhai Vaidya pointed out that all national and state leaders of reckoning are aware of the status of the disputed structure, but little has been done to save the buildings.

The Sabarmati Ashram on the banks of River Sabarmati, where the Mahatma had stayed from 1917 to 1930 after his return from South Africa and till he undertook the Dandi march in protest against Salt Tax, has been a source of inspiration for many a nation's non-violent Independence movement, particularly in Afro-Asia.

Mr Vaidya, who has been entrusted by the Sabarmati Harijan Ashram Trust to take up the matter at different levels, said the case has been going on in Gujarat High Court for more than 20 years, as the owners of the disputed building have lost the case twice and the tenant once, a release issued here today said.

Although only certain structures in the entire Sabarmati Ashram complex have to face demolition under AMC's TP Scheme 28 (Nava Vadaj), he argued that it is the entire complex where Mahatma Gandhi built and spent 13 years along with his followers, known as Sabarmati Ashram.

The verdict of the High Court having gone against the trust, he said, the latter prayed for appeal in the Supreme Court, which after prolonged efforts granted ''status quo in relation to the structures shall be maintained till further orders.'' Mr Vaidya also placed on record his gratitude to the panel of senior advocates like Fali Nariman, Mahendra Anand, E C Agrawala, Manu Krishnan and Jayant Mohan for their honorary services.

He said that national leaders like UPA leader Sonia Gandhi, Union Minister Dinsha Patel, AICC general secretary Ahmed Patel, GPCC president Bharat Solanki and leader of Opposition in Gujarat Legislative Assembly Arjun Modhvadia, besides noted Gandhian Nirmala Deshpande, have also chipped in their contribution. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has also reportedly spoken to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on telephone.

The Sabarmati Ashram is one of the ten Gandhian heritage sites proposed to be developed by the Centre as was announced by Union Culture Minister Jaipal Reddy on last Gandhi Jayanti Day on October 2, 2005.

The other sites include Mahatma Gandhi's birth place at Kirti Mandir at Porbandar, Wardha, Champaran and other places.

UNI