Why is govt buying out tenants to vacate land for redeveloping Sabarmati Ashram, asks Amrutbhai Modi

Considered one of the last quintessential "Gandhians" for his simplicity and carrying on tradition of wearing the iconic khadi as the dress code round the clock, 89-year-old Amrutbhai Modi, the secretary of Sabarmati Ashram Preservation and Memorial Trust (SAPMT), which manages Mahatma Gandhi-founded Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad, said that "the way Gujarat government is buying out residential properties from possession of tenants in order to get the land vacated is beyond comprehension."

"What is the aim behind this? We are not able to understand why the government is buying houses from the possession of tenants to get the properties vacated. It is important to note that no one has any personal or individual ownership on the land. Most of the people residing for the past 50-60 years whose status is of tenants and they can't claim ownership. There are people like me who have been living here for the past 20-30 years. My house belongs to the trust only which can decide what it wants to do with it," Modi told DH on Wednesday.

Modi said that a team of a recently formed coordination committee visited his residence last Friday asking him whether he wanted money or house in compensation. "I told them that the house belongs to the trust and I have no authority to decide," he said. As a matter of fact, the government has already compensated over 40 families with Rs 40 lakh each while the rest of Rs 20 lakh each will be handed over once they vacate their properties. Those who don't want money will be compensated with houses.

Amrutbhai Modi, the secretary of Sabarmati Ashram Preservation and Memorial Trust (SAPMT)

Modi, who is associated with Ashram for the past 48 years that includes 18 years as its secretary, said that "People should understand the importance of this place which lies in its utter simplicity. What if in the name of redevelopment, facilities and its maintenance, the government brings an entry fee? How congruent it will be with the Gandhian idea of simplicity and existing system where anyone can walk in and walk out without anyone's interference. Gandhi created a mass movement but if you bar masses, how justifiable this project will be?," he said.

As a secretary he has hosted visitors like South African leader Nelson Mandela to US President Bill Clinton and many other high-profile world leaders to the Ashram and seen closely the visits of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Chinese President Xi Jinping and US president Donald Trump. "Why do these big leaders come all the way to Gandhi Ashram? Not to see any grand structures or world-class facilities but its the simplicity that Gandhi represented and advocated. We should keep this in mind," he added.

Last week, the state government wrote to the trustees including SAPMT to pass a resolution "in favour of redevelopment project" and provide details of revenue record within a week. The trusts are expected to write back to the government seeking details of the project, something that the government has not communicated to the trustees yet. The Rs 1,200 crore redevelopment project aims to bring the Sabarmati Ashram and associated heritage properties in one grand campus.