Satyagraha organized at Jantar Mantar to save Gandhi-JP's legacy, Congress-AAP gave support

A day-long Dhyanakarshan Satyagraha was held at Jantar Mantar on Monday against the government's illegal occupation of the Sarva Seva Sangh premises situated at Rajghat in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, and demolition of buildings. The Satyagraha was held to protest the act of the government. It was attended by Gandhians and representatives of mass movements from all over the country. It was held to mark the completion of one year of illegal occupation by the government.

The agitators who participated in the Satyagraha said that a year ago, the railway administration in Varanasi had vacated the Rajghat complex established under the inspiration of Acharya Vinoba Bhave, and the Gandhi Vidya Sansthan, a world-class research center built with the efforts of Loknayak Jayaprakash Narayan. After this, they were demolished illegally. The top officials of Banaras also spread the lie that Sarva Seva Sangh had occupied the railway land. Whereas Sarva Seva Sangh had purchased 12.89 acres of land from Northern Railway through three deeds in 1960, 1961, and 1970. The name of Sarva Seva Sangh was also mentioned in the revenue records- Khatauni for decades. In December 2020, the then District Magistrate forcefully occupied a part of the land of this complex and gave it to a construction company in Gujarat to build its workshop.

A memorandum addressed to the President, outlining the whole incident, was presented in this Satyagraha held at Jantar Mantar. It has demanded a judicial inquiry into the Sarva Seva Sangh case and the officers and persons found guilty should be punished. At the same time, this historic legacy of Gandhi's thought has to be returned to the Sarva Seva Sangh along with compensation.