The premises of the Akhil Bhartiya Sarva Sewa Sangh (SSS), a registered charitable society involved in the education, empowerment and rehabilitation of children at high risk, in Varanasi, was vacated by the police and eight office-bearers of the Gandhian organisation were detained by the Varanasi police as a “preventive measure”.
The Akhil Bhartiya Sarva Sewa Sangh is a registered society established in 1948 by freedom fighter Acharya Vinoba Bhave to propagate the ideas and philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi.
In June, the Northern Railways pasted a notice on the premises asking the Society to vacate the 12.9-acre plot as the structures were to be demolished.
The demolition was initially scheduled to take place on June 30, but was delayed as the society approached the Allahabad High Court and the Supreme Court, but got no relief from the courts.
While the Railway officials say the 12.9-acre plot near Rajghat belongs to it, the Sangh claims that it was purchased by the Society from the Union of India by means of three registered sale deeds in 1960, 1961 and 1970.
Saurabh Singh, office-in charge of the Sarv Sewa Sangh’s Uttar Pradesh unit, said, “We will protest against this in a peaceful manner. We will also knock on the doors of the Supreme Court.”
Varanasi District Magistrate, S. Rajalingam, said the eviction drive was undertaken by the Railways.
Despite multiple calls and text messages, Additional Divisional Railways Manager (Northern Railways), Lalji Chaudhary, was unreachable for comment.
Meanwhile, Chief Spokesperson of Janata Dal (U) and former MP, K.C. Tyagi said, “We are extremely upset after getting information about the news from freedom fighter and President of Sarvodaya Mandal, Ramdhiraj Ji. This is a direct attack on the legacy of late Mahatma Gandhi and Jayaprakash Narain. This is the legacy associated with Mahatma Gandhi. This campus was established by Rajendra Prasad, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Jayaprakash Narayan, Vinoba Bhave etc. The time has come for nationwide satyagraha.”
Additional District Magistrate (City), Alok Kumar, confirmed that the Sarv Sewa Sangh premises was vacated.
In the last week of June this year, Northern Railways served a notice to the people living in the Sarva Sewa Sangh and alleged that they had encroached upon the land of Northern Railways, adjacent to GT Road, at the northern end of Kashi railway station here.
“All encroachers are informed that in the series of District Magistrate, Varanasi’s, letter dated June 26, the process of demolition of illegal constructions made by Sarva Sewa Sangh on the land of Northern Railways will begin. Therefore, all the encroachers are informed to vacate the railway land immediately,” said the notice.
In protest, Sarva Sewa Sangh inmates, including coordinator Ramdhiraj started a satyagrah. When a police team reached the Sarva Sewa Sangh to get it vacated, people, including Sarva Sewa Sangh President Chandan Pal and a few others opposed the move.
In a message, Pal said that he and a few others were taken into custody.
Pal said, “Perhaps you have gone through the latest situation of the Gandhi-Vinoba-Jayaprakash heritage at Sarva Sewa Sangh, Varanasi.”
He alleged that police and railway forces forcefully occupied the campus, though the case was pending.
People associated with Sarva Sewa Sangh said that a case regarding the ownership rights of the land was pending in a court of Varanasi and the action was inappropriate.
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