Members of the Gauhati High Court Bar Association (GHCBA) on Thursday began a three-day hunger strike against the Assam government’s decision to shift the high court complex from central Guwahati to North Guwahati.
The six-hour daily hunger strike, commencing at 10 am, is being held in front of the old Gauhati High Court building at Uzan Bazar and is scheduled to continue on Friday and Sunday. The protest follows a resolution adopted at an emergent Extra-Ordinary General Meeting of the Association earlier this week.
The agitation comes ahead of the proposed foundation stone-laying ceremony of the new high court complex at Rangmahal in North Guwahati on January 11, which is scheduled to be attended by the Chief Justice of India, Justice Surya Kant. The Bar Association has decided to abstain from the event.
Led by GHCBA president K N Choudhury, the lawyers said the hunger strike was a “peaceful and democratic expression” of their opposition to the relocation of the principal seat of the Gauhati High Court.
“The General Body, after due deliberation, has reiterated and reaffirmed its consistent stand, as reflected in earlier resolutions and the referendum conducted by the Association, opposing the proposed shifting of the Principal Seat of the Hon’ble Gauhati High Court from its present location,” the Association said in a statement.
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It also appealed to all members of the Bar to honour the collective decision and refrain from participating in the foundation stone-laying ceremony.
The Assam government has proposed constructing a new judicial township at Rangmahal on the northern bank of the Brahmaputra, spread over 129 bighas, or more than 42.5 acres. In November last year, the state cabinet approved Rs 479 crore for the first phase of the project.
The GHCBA has consistently opposed the relocation, arguing that the existing high court complex at Uzan Bazar is historically significant and adequately equipped. The court presently functions from a heritage structure and a modern multi-storey building located on opposite sides of Mahatma Gandhi Road, connected by an underground tunnel with escalator facilities.
The state government has indicated that shifting the high court is necessary for the development of the Brahmaputra riverfront, which would require acquisition of the existing court land.
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