Skip to main content

Gujarat HC rules in favour of communal harmony park 'razed' in Ahmedabad

Counterview Desk
The Gujarat High Court has ruled against the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) demolition of the communal harmony park on June 21, 2021, established by the city-based NGO Society for Promoting Rationality (SPRAT) way back in 2004. 
Claimed to have been established to “demolish” the communal borders between Ahmedabad’s minority-dominated Juhapura area and an “exclusively” majority area, Vejalpur, the HC judgement delivered by Justice Biren Vaishnav states that AMC’s actions was “unfair and unwarranted.”
Praising SPRAT work, the court asked AMC to consider reallotting the park to SPRAT under public private partnership (PPP). Ordering the AMC to pay a token cost of Rs. 25,000 to SPRAT, the court observed that SPRAT is entitled to approach the appropriate court to claim proper compensation from AMC for damages it caused to SPRAT’s large-scale structures, says an NGO note.

Text:

Way back in 2004, the NGO, SPRAT, set about demolishing the communal borders between Ahmedabad’s Juhapura and Vejalpur, on a muddy 50x50 Meter plot of land allotted by Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority (AUDA). It built a unique multipurpose Park that connected Ashok’s and Lata’s with Akbar’s and Fatima’s of the vicinity through adventure games, popular science, a variety of educational, cultural and livelihood services -- 1.5 million times! All for free!
The Multipurpose Park, aptly named MUSKAAN, combined science appreciation, adventure games, educational and cultural competitions and exhibitions, besides being the largest patch of greenery - and the only place of recreation for nearly 5 lakh people - in around five sq km area.
From elderly healthcare and free medical check-up to yoga training, livelihood and life skills, and special bus service… several initiatives forever changed the Park’s surroundings.
But all that came to a brutal halt on June 4, 2021. AMC bulldozed the Park: SPRATians labour of years of love reduced to dust in a few hours.
Without any valid reason, AMC officials, 13 years later, suddenly sought eviction although AUDA’s former chairman and six AMC councilors praised and recommended its long-term regularization. And while one wing was considering PPP, the other sealed the park and later bulldozed it without any notice. SPRAT was even denied the five weeks’ time it sought, to move its multimillion-rupee assets to its upcoming House of Reason [(Tarkik Sadan) at Matar.
And this despite that AMC’s former Commissioner, Vijay Nehra, had himself praised SPRAT’s work and wanted it to expand its science promotion activities at the River Front.
While some sections of media called this injustice out, others joined the naysayers and rumour-mongers to malign SPRAT as land grabber, despite the fact that SPRAT itself had actually declined two more plots of land AMC’s Mayor Asit Vora had offered.
Demolition by AMC authorities
SPRAT filed a writ of Petition on July 31, 2021 at Gujarat High Court vide Registration No: SCA/13299/2021. This was first heard by Justice Ashutosh Shastri and later by Justice Biren Vaishnav. The Court saw merit in the case and expedited its hearing, argued by SPRAT’s President, Hasan Jowher, as Party in Person. The case was decided in a record 19 weeks.
In the judgement delivered this morning, the Court of Hon Justice Biren Vaishnav held AMC’s actions as unfair and unwarranted. Praising the work of SPRAT, the Court urged AMC to consider reallotting the park to SPRAT under PPP. Ordering the AMC to pay a token cost of Rs. 25,000 to SPRAT, the court observed that SPRAT is entitled to approach the appropriate court to claim proper compensation from AMC for damages it caused to SPRAT’s large-scale structures.
Hailing the judgement, Jowher urged the Government of Gujarat and the AMC to act statesmanlike, and to use SPRAT’s dedicated social services to promote rationality and to popularize science right across the state. The video steaming link of this judgement is given here.

Comments

Jowher said…
Thank you Counterview for sensitizing your readers to the plight of social workers in Gujarat.

TRENDING

Reducing emission? India among top nations whose coal as energy source going up

By NS Venkataraman*  The State of the Global Climate report by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) confirmed that the year 2023 was the warmest year on record, with the global temperature of 1.4 degree celsius above pre-industrial 1850-1900 base line.

Lockdown 'total failure' of science more than of politics: Open letter on 4th anniversary

Counterview Desk  In an open letter to fellow academicians, scientists and medical practitioners in India, marking the fourth anniversary of India's lockdown (25 March 2024), the Managing Committee* of the Universal Health Organisation (UHO) has insisted on the need to "repair two years of immense damage to science".

Insider plot to kill Deendayal Upadhyay? What RSS pracharak Balraj Madhok said

By Shamsul Islam*  Balraj Madhok's died on May 2, 2016 ending an era of old guards of Hindutva politics. A senior RSS pracharak till his death was paid handsome tributes by the RSS leaders including PM Modi, himself a senior pracharak, for being a "stalwart leader of Jan Sangh. Balraj Madhok ji's ideological commitment was strong and clarity of thought immense. He was selflessly devoted to the nation and society. I had the good fortune of interacting with Balraj Madhok ji on many occasions". The RSS also issued a formal condolence message signed by the Supremo Mohan Bhagwat on behalf of all swayamsevaks, referring to his contribution of commitment to nation and society. He was a leading RSS pracharak on whom his organization relied for initiating prominent Hindutva projects. But today nobody in the RSS-BJP top hierarchy remembers/talks about Madhok as he was an insider chronicler of the immense degeneration which was spreading as an epidemic in the high echelons of th

Magnetic, stunning, Protima Bedi 'exposed' malice of sexual repression in society

By Harsh Thakor*  Protima Bedi was born to a baniya businessman and a Bengali mother as Protima Gupta in Delhi in 1949. Her father was a small-time trader, who was thrown out of his family for marrying a dark Bengali women. The theme of her early life was to rebel against traditional bondage. It was extraordinary how Protima underwent a metamorphosis from a conventional convent-educated girl into a freak. On October 12th was her 75th birthday; earlier this year, on August 18th it was her 25th death anniversary.

Savarkar 'criminally betrayed' Netaji and his INA by siding with the British rulers

By Shamsul Islam* RSS-BJP rulers of India have been trying to show off as great fans of Netaji. But Indians must know what role ideological parents of today's RSS/BJP played against Netaji and Indian National Army (INA). The Hindu Mahasabha and RSS which always had prominent lawyers on their rolls made no attempt to defend the INA accused at Red Fort trials.

'Flawed' argument: Gandhi had minimal role, naval mutinies alone led to Independence

Counterview Desk Reacting to a Counterview  story , "Rewiring history? Bose, not Gandhi, was real Father of Nation: British PM Attlee 'cited'" (January 26, 2016), an avid reader has forwarded  reaction  in the form of a  link , which carries the article "Did Atlee say Gandhi had minimal role in Independence? #FactCheck", published in the site satyagrahis.in. The satyagraha.in article seeks to debunk the view, reported in the Counterview story, taken by retired army officer GD Bakshi in his book, “Bose: An Indian Samurai”, which claims that Gandhiji had a minimal role to play in India's freedom struggle, and that it was Netaji who played the crucial role. We reproduce the satyagraha.in article here. Text: Nowadays it is said by many MK Gandhi critics that Clement Atlee made a statement in which he said Gandhi has ‘minimal’ role in India's independence and gave credit to naval mutinies and with this statement, they concluded the whole freedom struggle.

A Hindu alternative to Valentine's Day? 'Shiv-Parvati was first love marriage in Universe'

By Rajiv Shah*   The other day, I was searching on Google a quote on Maha Shivratri which I wanted to send to someone, a confirmed Shiv Bhakt, quite close to me -- with an underlying message to act positively instead of being negative. On top of the search, I chanced upon an article in, imagine!, a Nashik Corporation site which offered me something very unusual. 

'Wrong direction': Paris NGO regrets MNC ArcelorMittal still using coal-based steel

By Rajiv Shah  A new report by Paris-based non-governmental research and campaigning organization, Reclaim Finance, has blamed the MNC ArcelorMittal – formed in 2006 following the takeover and merger of the western European steel maker Arcelor (Spain, France, and Luxembourg) by Indian-owned Mittal Steel – for using use “climate destructive” metallurgical coal for its projects in India.

Attack on foreign students: Gujarat varsity's reputation, ranking at stake, say academics

Counterview Desk  Expressing anguish over the attack on international students in Gujarat University hostels, a letter claimed to have been signed by 122 current and former academics has asked the Gujarat Vice Chancellor, Dr Neerja Gupta, to provide emotional support to the attacked students and to ensure their physical safety.  

Poor private sector engagement 'impacting' carbon pricing policy in Global South

Counterview Desk  The joint report by Environmental Defense Fund and Observer Research Fund, "Navigating Carbon Pricing: The G20 Experience and Global South Prospects", delves into the complex landscape of carbon pricing, examining its application within the G20 nations and the potential implications for emerging economies in the Global South.  The report claims to provide insights and recommendations for effective carbon pricing strategies in diverse economies.  A note: The Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) and Observer Research Foundation (ORF) have launched the Navigating Carbon Pricing: The G20 Experience and Global South Prospects” report. The report delves into the complex landscape of carbon pricing, examining its application within the G20 nations and the potential implications for emerging economies in the Global South. The report offers a comprehensive analysis of various carbon pricing instruments currently in existence, providing valuable i