Indian Catholic priest and nine others arrested for protesting Gandhian Center's demolitions

Father Anand Mathew  and nine others were arrested for protesting the destruction of a Gandhian center in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, northern India, on August 12.

From the police station, the priest described his arrest as "extremely sad that the heritage and legacy of Gandhi, Jayaprakash Narayan, and Vinoba Bhave are being destroyed".

He stated, however, that there is no need for concern because everything will be alright. He asserted that their release will be imminent, either tonight or after August 15, India's Independence Day.

Father Anand provided Matters India with a chronology of the arrest, explaining that the authorities arrived at 7 a.m. with large machinery. As he and others convened there, they learned from the surrounding communities that law enforcement was approaching the center.

"They arrested all those who came there," the priest said.

Gandhian institution Sarva Seva Sangh serves as the central office for its various branches throughout the country.

As part of Narayan's mission to propagate Gandhi's teachings, the center, situated on the banks of the Ganga and Varuna rivers in Rajghat, was established in 1960 by Rajendra Prasad with the help of Vinoba Bhave, Lal Bahadur Shastri, and Jagjivan Ram.

Lal Bahadur Shastri, railway minister, arranged for railway property to be sold to the institute.

According to the Railways, the Gandhians encroached on the railway land on which the center stands, which is what prompted the demolition drive. The ownership of the land has been the subject of a legal dispute for the past few months.

A large part of the center falls within Prime Minister Narendra Modi's parliamentary constituency.

Long-running protests at the Gandhian Center prompted the police to secure the building on July 22.

On August 10, activists including Medha Patkar, Yogendra Yadev, and Rakesh Tikait spoke at a "mega event" to save the center, which was attended by a significant number of people, according to Father Jayanth and Father Confrere.

A police force of 500 withdrew from the 12.5-acre campus on July 22 to enter homes and remove residents' belongings.

As part of the eviction, the police arrested eight Gandhians who were on a 63-day satyagraha protesting against the government's plan to demolish the building and threw out thousands of books published by Sarvodaya publications.

The center, situated on the banks of the Ganga and Varuna rivers in Rajghat on the northern end of Varanasi city, was founded in 1960 by Jay Prakash Narayan with the help of President Rajendra Prasad, Vinoba Bhave, Lal Bahadur Shastri, and Jagjivan Ram to propagate Gandhian teachings.

It was Shastri, then Railway Minister, who arranged to sell railway property to the institute.

The demolition is based on a notice given by the Railways saying that the Gandhians had encroached on railway land to build the center, and a legal battle has been going on for the past few months over ownership of the land.

According to the protesters, the government wants to build a shopping mall in the area as a tourism incentive.

Father Jayanth said, "The case has been pending in the court, and the court has not granted a stay, despite repeated attempts."

Among its buildings are Sarvodaya Publications, which publishes more than 1,500 books on Gandhi, and the Gandhian Institute of Studies, where Gandhian research has been conducted for more than six decades.

Additionally, the center ran a kindergarten that provided free education for children from the nearby neighborhood.