State assures HC to shift Dr Ambedkar’s writings to a safer place

The statement came after the court was informed that the valuable literature could suffer irreparable damage if rainwater seeps into the room

Mumbai: The state government on Thursday assured the Bombay high court (HC) that the original manuscripts and writings of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, currently stored in a 300-square feet room in an old building at Ballard Estate, would be moved to a safer place, where it can be preserved.

A government pleader assured the bench that steps were being taken to shift the material to a safer place and the same would be mentioned in the affidavit to be filed by the government. The court accepted the assurance and granted two weeks to the government to file the affidavit, and posted the hearing of the PIL after four weeks. (Photo by Sunil Ghosh / Hindustan Times)

The statement came after the court was informed that the valuable literature could suffer irreparable damage if rainwater seeps into the room.

The assurance came during the course of the hearing on suo-motu public interest litigation (PIL), initiated by the court after a news report of November 24 last year, stated that though the state government had issued directions to print nine lakh copies of Dr Ambedkar’s speeches and writings, for which printing papers worth ₹5.45 crore was purchased, however, in last four years, only 33,000 copies were printed and the paper purchased for the project was lying unused in the godowns.

Taking suo-motu note of the report, the HC had initiated the PIL and directed the state government to conduct an audit of the working of the committee that was appointed to oversee the entire project after the demise of its chairman.

Advocate Swaraj Jadhav, appointed as amicus curiae by the court on Thursday informed the division bench of justices PB Varale and SD Kulkarni that the valuable handwritten manuscripts of Dr Ambedkar and Jyotiba Phule were stored in an old building at Ballard Estate.

Jadhav further informed the court that though the material was kept in a room, considering the condition of the building and poor storage facilities, there was the likelihood of the valuable material suffering irreparable damage in the event rainwater seeped in.

After hearing Jadhav’s submissions, the bench sought to know from the state government what measures it had taken to safeguard the manuscripts and writings.

A government pleader then assured the bench that steps were being taken to shift the material to a safer place and the same would be mentioned in the affidavit to be filed by the government.

The court accepted the assurance and granted two weeks to the government to file the affidavit, and posted the hearing of the PIL after four weeks.