Ahmedabad Apr 26 PTI The proposed Gandhi Ashram Memorial and Precinct Development Project will highlight the Gandhian ethos of frugality and simplicity while recreating the Ashram as it originally stood the Gujarat government has told the High Court The state government has submitted an affidavit in response to the PIL Public Interest Litigation filed by Mahatma Gandhis great-grandson and social worker Tushar Gandhi The government said the petitioners contention that the proposed project will change the physical structure of the ashram and corrupt its pristine simplicity and frugality that embodies the ideology of Gandhiji is unfounded The proposed project will not change the topography of the Gandhi Ashram but will recreate and revive the Gandhi Ashram as it originally stood while accentuating its frugality and simplicity coupled with its calm and tranquil atmosphere as per the affidavit filed by the deputy secretary tourism KJ Jamaliya The matter came up for hearing in the high court on Tuesday The HC posted the matter for the next hearing on June 14 after Tushar Gandhis lawyer sought time to respond The state government said the project was envisaged after it was felt that there was an imminent need to maintain the philosophy message and legacy of Gandhiji for the future generation with the sole aim to promote his philosophy The government stated that unlike the claim made in the PIL the National Gandhi Smarak Nidhi has no superintendence over the Gandhi Ashram or any other Trusts associated with it The proposed project is on a large scale whereby it seeks to engage all the stakeholders to work in tandem to promote the legacy of Mahatma Gandhi and the best interests of the Gandhi Ashram which will ultimately contribute to the present and the future generations it said The Gandhi Ashram outside the five-acre land is in no way a testament to the Gandhian ethos of frugality or simplicity The five-acre campus will be expanded to 55 acres to include all the 48 original Ashram buildings said the affidavit The project aims to bring together the Gandhi Ashram and surrounding areas which were over a period partitioned and entrusted to various trusts for different purposes The petitioner had sought the courts direction to allow the redevelopment work to be spearheaded by six trusts under the aegis of the National Gandhi Smarak Nidhi rather than the state and Central governments The petitioner said both the governing council and executive council -- constituted as per the government resolution dated March 5 2021 -- comprise government functionaries without any representation from six trusts that were formed and own land of Ashram and precinct areas to carry out various activities The Supreme Court recently asked the Gujarat High Court to examine the plea by Tushar Gandhi challenging the state governments decision to redevelop the Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad He had approached the Supreme Court after the high court disposed of the matter PTI KA PD NSK NSK

Ahmedabad Apr 21PTI British Prime Minister Boris Johnson who is on a two-day visit to India visited the Sabarmati Ashram also known as Gandhi Ashram here on Thursday after landing in the countryThe Ashram trust gifted him two books one of them an unpublished guide for the benefit of those seeking to live in London penned by Mahatma Gandhi himselfAfter arriving at the Ahmedabad airport on Thursday morning Johnson reached Sabarmati Ashram where he was welcomed by Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and trustee Kartikeya Sarabhai said the Ashrams spokesperson Virat KothariGandhi had lived at the ashram from 1917 to 1930On behalf of the Sabarmati Ashram Preservation and Memorial Trust Sarabhai gifted two books and a replica of charkha or spinning wheel to Johnson who spent nearly 30 minutes on the premisesAfter paying floral tributes to Gandhi Johnson also visited Hriday Kunj where the Mahatma lived and Mira Kutir where Gandhis English-born disciple Mirabehn or Madeleine Slade used to live said KothariThe British PM also tried his hand at the charkha before leavingOne of the books gifted to Johnson was Guide to London an unpublished book which consists of Gandhis suggestions on how to live in London It is the first-ever book written by Gandhi and never got published We gleaned the content from the Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi and compiled a book Kothari saidThe other book was The Spirits Pilgrimage autobiography of MirabehnJohnson is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi on Friday PTI PJT PD KRK KRK

Ahmedabad Apr 20 PTI World Health Organization WHO Director General Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus on Wednesday visited the Gandhi Ashram in the city and paid tributes to Mahatma Gandhi Dr Ghebreyesus was accompanied by Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and AYUSH Minister Sarbananda Sonowal during his visit to Gandhi Ashram also known as Sabarmati Ashram During his visit Dr Ghebreyesus was given information about Gandhijis stay at the ashram and also tried his hands at a charkha spinning wheel Earlier in the day Ghebreyesus attended the inaugural ceremony of the Global Ayush Investment and Innovation Summit in Gandhinagar where he shared dais with Prime Minister Narendra Modi PTI PJT NP NP

New Delhi [India], March 14 (ANI): Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Singh has given a Zero Hour notice in Rajya Sabha on Monday to raise the issue of the proposed changes in the original layout plan of Sabarmati Ashram in Gujrat's Ahmedabad.

Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], January 21 (ANI): Taking a dig at the BJP-led Central government, the Uttarakhand Congress on Friday termed the "extinguishing" of Amar Jawan Jyoti at India Gate as the "king's arbitrariness" to build his palace, "Modi Mahal".