THE SARVA Sewa Sangh — a society that works to propagate Gandhian values — has approached the Allahabad High Court challenging a notice for demolition issued by the Northern Railways to demolish structures built on a 12.90-acre plot in Varanasi district. The demolition is scheduled to take place at 9 am on June 30. 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. The society’s petition was heard by the court Wednesday and has been listed for further hearing on Friday. In its petition, the society says land for its premises at Pargana Dehat in Varanasi “was purchased by it from the Union of India by means of three registered sale deeds in 1960, 1961 and 1970”. According to the website of the Sarva Seva Sangh, it was started after a meeting in Sevagram, Wardha in March, 1948. The meeting was attended by India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and first President Dr. Rajendra Prasad. It was also attended by prominent leaders Vinobaji, Kishorilalji Mashruwala, J C Kumarappa, Acharya Kakasaheb Kalelkar, Shrikrishnadasji Jaju, Aryanayakam Couple, Jayaprakash Narayan. “…Sarva Seva Sangh came into existence in April, 1948 after merging five constructive organisations e.g., Akhil Bharat Charkha Sangh, Akhil Bharat Gram Udyod Sangh, Akhil Bharat Go Seva Sangh, Hindustani Talimi Sangh & Mahrogi Sava Mandal,” says the website. On the property concerned, there is a publication house - Sarva Seva Sangh Prakashan - a preschool where children from the socio-economically weaker sections are taught without any fees, a guest house, a library with hundreds of books, a meeting hall, a Gandhi Arogya Kendra (a naturopathy centre), a youth training centre, a khadi bhandaar and a statue of the Mahatma Gandhi. A notice pasted on the premises of the organisation by the Northern Railways says, “This is to inform all the encroachers that in continuation of a notice by District Magistrate, Varanasi, on June 26, 2023 that on June 30 at 9 am, Railways officials will take demolition action against the illegal structures built by Sarva Seva Sangh… All of you are informed to vacate the premises.” Officials in Varanasi said that the dispute between the Railways and the society was decided by the Varanasi District Magistrate, who on June 26 ruled that “the land belonged to the Railways as per Revenue records”. Varanasi District Magistrate S. Rajalingam said on Wednesday, “The Sarva Seva Sangh and Railways have been fighting a case in the Allahabad High Court for a long time. The High Court had asked the DM of Varanasi to decide the matter. I gave an opportunity to both parties to give their version. The records clearly show that the land belongs to Railways…the Sangh is relying on a sale deed which was supposedly executed by a Divisional Engineer on behalf of the President of India. There is no government order or authorisation letter in support of the claim. The Sangh failed to prove their ownership and hence I complied with the Allahabad High Court orders and issued an order (on June 26). Now, the matter is between the Railways and the Society. The land belongs to the Railways,” said the DM. Northern Railways Divisional Railway Manager S K Sapra was unreachable for comment.
