November 1 marked the 52nd day of the 100-day relay fast at the satyagraha site of Rajghat in Varanasi, seeking the restoration of the 12 acres of land to the Sarva Seva Sangh, the Gandhian organization that was evicted from the banks of the river. Twelve buildings were demolished as the site was abruptly taken over by the government after “bulldozer” action in August 2023, even as the matter was pending in court.
Groups of Gandhians and supporters have joined the protesters at the Satyagraha site from Odisha, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh.
From 1-5 November, Sarvodaya colleagues from various districts in Andhra Pradesh are participating in the relay fast. The group from Andhra Pradesh includes N. Rambabu Naidu, Datta Mani, G. Ravi Kumar, Dr. D. Dinbandhu, G. Pradeep Kumar, V. Lata, N. S. Kiran, and G. Shiva Parvati.
Sarva Seva Sangh, also the premises from which a publishing house operated to spread the teachings of Gandhi and Vinobha Bhave, the famous Gandhian who led India’s voluntary land reform movement, Bhoodan, in the 1950s that saw many wealthy landowners including erstwhile royals give up land to poor landless cultivators.
Sarva Sewa Sangh had 12.89 acres of land purchased from Northern Railways through three separate sale deeds in 1960, 1961, and 1970.
Even though these sale deeds are well preserved, the government, Varanasi administration, Railways, RSS, and BJP have spread propaganda that the Sarva Seva Sangh was an illegal encroachment. They also claim that the premises had been rented out, or leased.
In a non-violent attempt to assert ownership of the premises and restore rights to it, a 100-day Satyagraha was initiated on September 11, the birth anniversary of Vinobha Bhave.
Sarvodaya workers, social activists, and citizens from all over the country are participating in the satyagraha.
Andhra Pradesh Sarvodaya Mandal President Rambabu Naidu sat on fast as part of the Satyagraha at Rajghat, Varanasi, on Friday. Naidu, also works as a journalist and runs two news channels in Telugu.
Speaking at the site of the protest, Naidu said that bulldozing Sarva Seva Sangh was an assault on democracy. “This action by the government is aimed at destroying Gandhian ideas and institutions. This is a heritage site, and it is the government's responsibility to protect it,” he said.
Ravi Kumar Gogu, president of Andhra Pradesh Sarvodaya Mandal and president of West Godavari District Sarvodaya Mandal, has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, appealing for the immediate and respectful return of the campus, and calling for a judicial inquiry into the entire matter to identify and punish the guilty officials.
Although the protesters have been sitting at the protest site on fast for over 50 days, there is little coverage of this protest in the mainstream media – the protesters, however, have no doubt that, ultimately, preserving the country’s freedom rests on actions taken locally by individuals, whether or not the media covers such action.
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*Freelance journalist
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