The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a petition filed by Tushar Gandhi, the great-grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, challenging the Sabarmati Ashram redevelopment project. Justices M M Sundresh and Rajesh Bindal stated that they were not willing to interfere with the plea, mentioning that the petition was filed more than two years after the issue arose.

In his petition against the Gujarat High Court, Tushar Gandhi argued that the proposed redevelopment project would change the layout of the Sabarmati Ashram. He claimed that the project planned to preserve over 40 buildings, while around 200 others would be either demolished or rebuilt.

The Supreme Court stated that the mere concern that the state's assurance, which stated the main area of the ashram would remain unaffected, was not enough to challenge the decision. The Gujarat High Court had dismissed Gandhi's plea in 2022 after the state government assured that the main area of the ashram would not be impacted by the project.

Advocate General Kamal Trivedi, representing the Gujarat government, assured the high court that the main area of the Sabarmati Ashram, which covers five acres, would not be affected during the redevelopment. Tushar Gandhi had filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL), requesting that the redevelopment be managed under the supervision of the 'National Gandhi Smarak Nidhi' (NGSN).

About Sabarmati Ashram

Sabarmati Ashram, also known as Gandhi  Ashram, was founded by Mahatma Gandhi in Ahmedabad in 1917. Gandhi lived in Sabarmati Ashram from 1917 to 1930. Today, the ashram still houses a religious community and has a museum dedicated to Gandhi's life and teachings. The museum displays paintings, photographs, books, and letters. The cottage where Gandhi lived, called Hridaya Kunj, is also preserved.

Gandhi first founded the Satyagraha Ashram on May 25, 1915, after returning to India from South Africa. In July 1917, the ashram moved to a larger site by the Sabarmati River. Gandhi wanted the ashram to be a place for religious devotion, truth-seeking, and a center for promoting nonviolence and self-sufficiency to help India gain independence from Britain. He also started a school there to teach students literacy, agriculture, and manual labour.

 

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