Country needs to move beyond hunger strikes: HC

The Bombay High Court on Friday observed that it was time the country moved beyond hunger strikes.

The Bombay High Court on Friday observed that it was time the country moved beyond hunger strikes. It was hearing a petition filed against the appointment of a committee to probe allegations of forgery made by social activist Medha Parkar against a slum redevelopment project at Golibar Road,Khar.

The state government had announced the formation of the committee late last month following a nine-day fast by Patkar and others. Lets stop these hunger strikes and start a democratic governance in our country, Justice DY Chandrachud said. The petition,filed by promoters of the proposed Ganesh Krupa Co-operative Housing Society (GKCHS),said the government had,on May 28,appointed a committee led by former judge Hosbet Suresh only because Patkar and her supporters were observing a fast. It said the committee members could not be expected to be objective as they had participated in similar agitations by slumdwellers. The promoters also contended that it had judicial orders giving a go-ahead to the project.

Assistant government pleader GW Mattos informed the court that the government had decided to hand over the probe into allegations made regarding the Golibar redevelopment to the high-power committee (HPC) appointed pursuant to a High Court order in December 2008 to look into the SRA scheme complaints. The statement submitted on behalf of the state government,signed by Sanjay Patil,Desk Officer,Slum I,Housing Department,said the cases to be examined by the two committees appointed by the government for probing the Golibar redevelopment and 15 other SRA schemes in Mumbai will now be handed over to the HPC,that would be directed to decide the case by September 30. The government would issue a corrigendum or a memorandum regarding the same in two weeks, he said.

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Meanwhile,Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan said the government had decided to scrap the two committees formed following Patkars fast in response to instructions from the court. I cannot go against the High Court. The aggrieved party had gone to the court,which told the government that we had directed you to carry on demolition and why you should not be hauled up for contempt of court. We have,therefore,asked the two committees to hand over whatever work they have done to the two committees that had been set up earlier on directives of the court. The high court had,after an earlier hearing,restrained the committees formed after Patkars fast from functioning till June 16.

Justices Chandrachud and Anoop Mohta said Patkar was a social worker who had brought important matters to the fore and agreed that the court could not be orally informed about the committees being disbanded.

While Desai told the court that they would file an affidavit opposing the governments decision,GKCHS counsel Janak Dwarkadas said he would have to seek instructions from his clients about whether or not they were willing to withdraw the petition. The case has been adjourned till July 1.

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