Mahatma Gandhi’s great-grandson approached the Supreme Court challenging the Rs.1,200 crore Sabarmati Ashram redevelopment project. The plea argues that the project will strip the ashram of its simplicity and transform it into a government-controlled monument. This, he contends, goes against Gandhian values of austerity and non-materialism.
New Delhi: Tushar Gandhi, the great-grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, appealed to the Supreme Court against a 2022 ruling by the Gujarat High Court that supported the state government’s redevelopment project for the Sabarmati Ashram.
In his petition, he argues that the Rs.1,200 crore initiative will compromise the ashram’s simplicity and transform it into a state-controlled monument, deviating from Gandhian principles.
He claims that the project represents a betrayal of Gandhi’s legacy, as it aims to “alter the topography” of the historic ashram and convert it into a modern campus featuring museums, amphitheatres, and food courts, which he believes have no relevance to Gandhian thought.
The petition states,
“The proposed project will alter the topography of the century-old ashram to the tune of Rs.1,200-crore and corrupt its ethos. The project has purportedly identified over 40 congruent buildings which will be preserved while the rest of them, roughly 200, will be destroyed or rebuilt,”
The petition also points out that the current plan will displace resident Harijan families and overlook the Gandhian trusts that have historically managed the area. Furthermore, the redevelopment efforts are set to be overseen by a government-controlled body led by the Chief Minister and senior bureaucrats, which Gandhi’s great-grandson describes as an insidious attempt to seize control of the memorial.
The petition cites Gandhi’s own words from a 1933 letter to Ghanshyamdas Birla, in which he expressed his intention to transfer the ashram land to the Harijan Sevak Sangh.
The petition asserts that the current redevelopment plan will displace resident Harijan families and overlook the Gandhian trusts that have traditionally managed the ashram.
Additionally, the project aims to assign the redevelopment work to a government-controlled body led by the Chief Minister and senior bureaucrats. This arrangement effectively “constitutes an insidious attempt to take over the memorial by the government.”
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The petition references Gandhi’s own words from a 1933 letter to Ghanshyamdas Birla, in which he clearly expressed his intention to transfer the ashram land to the Harijan Sevak Sangh.
Gandhi wrote,
“I consulted friends and co-workers and came to the conclusion that the best use to make of the Ashram was to dedicate it once for all for the service of the Harijans. I placed my proposal before the trustees of the Ashram who are out, as also fellow members. They have, I am happy to say, whole-heartedly approved of it….The question that the trustees and I had to consider was, to whom was the property to be transferred for the specific use I have mentioned; and we came unanimously to the conclusion that it should be transferred to the all-India Harijan organization for all-India use.”
The petitioner seeks a declaration that any redevelopment must adhere strictly to Gandhi’s will as outlined in the 1933 letter and should involve consultation with independent Gandhians, historians, and custodians of the Ashram, rather than being under direct government oversight.
In September 2022, the Gujarat High Court dismissed Tushar Gandhi’s challenge to the redevelopment. The court stated that the government’s assurances were adequate and that the project did not undermine the site’s legacy. It noted that the State had not encroached upon or dismantled any core Gandhian institutions and was not planning any commercial activities on the ashram grounds.
However, according to the appeal to the Supreme Court, the High Court’s justification disregards the true spirit and legacy of the place.
The appeal contends that the High Court wrongly prioritized the oral submissions and affidavits from the State without adequately examining the ground realities or the legal implications of altering the governance structure of the ashram.
Gandhi has also pointed out that over 100 historians, scholars, civil servants, and Gandhian thinkers publicly opposed the government’s plan in a joint letter in 2021.
The petitioner has urged the Supreme Court to set-aside the Gujarat High Court’s ruling and to stay all construction or redevelopment activities until the matter is fully addressed. The petition, prepared by advocate Kaleeswaram Raj and drafted by advocates Thulasi K Raj and Aparna Menon, was submitted through advocate Nishe Rajan Shonker.
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