The Gujarat High Court on Thursday dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) petition challenging the proposed redevelopment of Mahatma Gandhi’s Sabarmati Ashram. The petition was filed by Tushar Gandhi, great grandson of Mahatma Gandhi.
In his petition, Mr. Gandhi had challenged the State government’s redevelopment plan on the grounds that the Sabarmati Ashram would lose its ethos if redevelopment was allowed.
A Bench of Chief Justice Arvind Kumar and Justice A.J. Shashtri dismissed the petition and held that the proposed redevelopment would not alter the Gandhian ethos of the ashram as the government had proposed to redevelop the surrounding areas and not the ashram itself.
‘Will remain intact’
The court observed that “the Gandhi ashram, spread over five acres, will remain intact, and there is no plan to disturb it by the government, and the government will keep its promise to keep the ashram as it is.”
“We hope the government will respect and follow its submission in letter and spirit while redeveloping the surrounding areas. The government intends to spread Gandhi ideology, philosophy across the globe and will develop the surrounding areas in consultation with the Sabarmati Ashram Preservation Memorial Trust, and other Trusts and educational institutes set up by Gandhi,” the court noted.
