Indian
Express: Ahmedabad: Tuesday, 25 August 2015.
An Ahmedabad
hall widely used by civil rights organisations has been made out of bounds by
Gujarat Governor O P Kohli for “any political activity or any activity against
the government”.
A kabulatnama
or written undertaking that there will be no such activity has been made
mandatory for anyone who wishes to book the Mehdi Nawaz Jung Hall, named after
the first Governor of Gujarat. This follows an “oral decision” by Governor
Kohli.
The Mehdi
Nawaz Jung Hall has been the venue of several meetings, including those on the
2002 riots, screening of films on the riots, and where the riot-hit have spoken
out.
More
recently, the hall hosted organisations which backed Teesta Setalvad, the
social activist booked by police for alleged embezzlement of funds meant for
riot victims, and others critical of the Centre’s crackdown on NGOs.
The hall is
part of the Himavan complex which is administered by a board of trustees of the
Governor’s Social Welfare Fund. The Governor is one of the trustees and
chairman of the board.
Responding to
an application filed by The Indian Express under the Right to Information Act,
Raj Bhavan said the decision on a kabulatnama was taken on May 26, 2015 a day
after expelled AAP leader Yogendra Yadav was denied entry to the hall despite a
booking by organisers of a meeting. Yadav then held a meeting with workers
outside the hall.
In its reply,
the Governor’s Office said: “Since the persons who approach the management of
Mehdi Nawaz Jung Hall, Paldi, Ahmedabad for booking the hall are orally
instructed to give their kabulatnama to the effect that they will not use the
hall for any political activity or any activity against the government, the
hall is not given on rent to any party which refuses to give a signed
kabulatnama.”
“The hall is
currently booked for carrying out educational, social, humanitarian and
cultural activities,” the reply stated.
The Indian
Express had also sought minutes of the meeting in which such a decision was
taken. To this, Raj Bhavan said: “Meetings were not held and no notings were
made while taking this decision, so the question of giving copies thereof does
not arise.”
Gautam
Thaker, general secretary of the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) in
Gujarat, who is also administrator of the hall, said he had not been informed
about the decision.
“I have not
been intimated about the decision. I handle issues like salaries of the staff
of the hall etc. The booking part is being handled by a watchman who is also
performing the role of a manager,” he said.
Thaker
criticised the insistence on a written undertaking. “I think it is a move to
stifle the voice of dissent. It is an attempt to suppress the freedom of speech
and expression of civil society,” he said.
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