The Gujarat High Court on Thursday disposed of a petition filed by Mahatma Gandhi's great-grandson Tushar Gandhi against the Sabarmati Ashram redevelopment project after the government said the existing ashram would not be altered. This was the second time the court rejected Tushar Gandhi's plea on the issue.
Advocate General Kamal Trivedi, representing the Gujarat government, told a division bench of Chief Justice Aravind Kumar and Justice A J Shastri that the main ashram premises spread over five acres will not be touched during the redevelopment.
Tushar Gandhi had filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking a direction that the redevelopment be carried out under the aegis of 'National Gandhi Smarak Nidhi' (NGSN) and the trusts affiliated to it instead of that of the state and Union governments. Sabarmati Ashram, also known as Gandhi Ashram, was established by Mahatma Gandhi in Ahmedabad in 1917.
Disposing of the PIL, the bench said the apprehensions raised by the petitioner were "allayed" with the state government's undertaking that the existing Ashram will not be "disturbed, altered or changed".
The state government also assured that "the redevelopment project will be carried out with the consent, cooperation and guidance' of various trusts associated with Gandhi Ashram including the Harijan Ashram Trust and Sabarmati Ashram Preservation and Memorial Trust, it noted.
The chief justice also expressed satisfaction that the research work related to the redevelopment was being carried out by Gujarat Vidyapith, an institution established by Mahatma Gandhi himself.
"We do hope and trust that the assurances given to the court by the government will not only be followed in its letter and spirit, but (the government will) also implement that in the right perspective by ensuring Gandhian ideals are spread across the globe," said Chief Justice Kumar.
After the high court had rejected Tushar Gandhi's plea on the same ground last year, he approached the Supreme Court, which asked the high court in April to reconsider it.
(With PTI inputs)
