KOCHI: The Gandhi Peace Foundation (GPF) argues the plot was allotted to it and the Gandhi Bhavan Committee was constituted for the construction of the building. As per the original bylaw of the Gandhi Bhavan Committee, the chief worker of the GPF should act as the secretary of both institutions. However, the bylaw was amended which led to a legal battle, said GPF chief worker V M Michael.
“We are not going for any big fund-raising. We want to construct a Gandhi Mandapam at the spot where the Gandhi statue is located, fence it and develop a garden befitting a Gandhi memorial. We need just `3 lakh for the work and people who are associated with the GPF have come forward to donate the money. We don’t want to create a controversy. But we are of the opinion the Gandhi Bhavan should be retained at Kacharipady, which is located in the centre of the city. As a portion of the building has been demolished for Metro Rail, we want to reconstruct it. We’ve 10 cents of land and it’s enough to construct the Gandhi Bhavan,” he said.
Former Kerala High Court judge P K Shamsuddin, who is also an executive committee member the foundation, said the plot was originally allocated to the GPF.“The Gandhi Bhavan Committee was formed for the construction of the building. It was stated in the bylaw the income from the building should be given to the Foundation. But they amended it to make Gandhi Bhavan Committee an independent body.
They even tried to remove the Gandhi statue from Kacheripady, which was foiled by the public. We’re of the opinion the GPF should function on the same premises creating awareness on the relevance of Gandhian ideology in the present-day world. If the government allocates another plot in the city, we can establish an institute for Gandhian studies there,” he said.