Gandhi Ashram eviction: Finally historian Guha speaks out; but ageing trustees are silent

By Rajiv Shah 

Finally, at least one expert, top historian Ramachandra Guha, has spoken out on eviction of 200 families living in the Gandhi Ashram premises. Last week, I received an email alert from a veteran academic, Ashoke Chatterjee, former director, National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad, which happens to be one of the most prestigious academic institutes of India based, informing me about it. NID is one of the several top institutes founded when Jawaharlal Nehru was India’s Prime Minister.

The email alert by Chatterjee, who is also associated with several NGOs, including Centre for Social Justice and Janvakas, quotes Guha, stating how the eviction drive by the Gujarat government in order to build a hi fi Gandhi memorial reflects the challenges faced by a Trust, which is said to look after the Gandhi Ashram, especially in view of the fact it is “composed of ageing men and women, who all live in Gujarat, and thus cannot speak out for fear that they or their families will be victimized by a government known for its vindictiveness.”
While the article by Guha, published in The Telegraph, suggests this ageing factor and refusal to speak out could be the reason why “the plans as forged by Modi and his cronies” to build a Gandhi memorial “will go ahead”, he does he not say who these “ageing” people are. Sudershan Iyengar, former vice-chancellor, Gujarat Vidyapeeth? Elaben Bhatt, current chancellor, Gujarat Vidyapeeth? Kartikeya Sarabhai, who is a descendant of the well-known scientist Vikram Sarabhai family, involved in NID project? Or someone else?
Be that as it may, at least Guha has finally spoken out. This follows my blog on this site two weeks ago, where I specifically mentioned Guha’s name among others for refusing to speak out against the eviction drive. Surely, he is not one of the trustees. Nor do I know whether he has written the The Telegraph piece after I mentioned his name with a photograph, though I apprehended this to Chatterjee, wondering whether Guha’s piece was “prompted by my blog” as it was “widely read”. Chatterjee was quick to reply: “It might well have. I don’t think Ashram group has seen this. I will share it with them immediately!”
Be that as it may, I am sharing here Guha’s article "Second Assassination" – which is surely a powerful commentary on the eviction move (all his commentaries are worth reading), though devoid of any new information. The commentary comes weeks after all 200 persons who live in the Gandhi Ashram premises have already accepted and signed the government offer of Rs 40 plus 20 lakh (total Rs 60 lakh) as compensation, or an alternative house. While some have begun accepting money, others are waiting to see if they can get a good house offered by the government.