Three-day hunger strike against relocating Gauhati High Court to North Guwahati begins

Guwahati, Jan 8 (IANS) Members of the Gauhati High Court Bar Association (GHCBA) on Thursday began a three-day hunger strike to protest the Assam government's decision to shift the Gauhati High Court to North Guwahati, intensifying opposition to the proposed judicial township at Rangmahal.

The protest, scheduled to be held for six hours each day, commenced at 10 a.m. in front of the old High Court building at Uzan Bazar.

The agitation follows a resolution adopted at an emergent extraordinary general meeting of the Bar Association earlier this week.

GHCBA President K.N. Choudhury is leading the protest.

The state government has proposed the construction of a new High Court complex as part of a judicial township spread over 129 bighas, or more than 42.5 acres, at Rangmahal on the northern bank of the Brahmaputra River.

The foundation stone for the project is scheduled to be laid on Sunday by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, an event the Bar Association has decided to boycott.

In a statement, the GHCBA described the hunger strike as a "peaceful and democratic expression" of its opposition to the relocation plan.

The Association reiterated that its general body, after detailed deliberations, has consistently opposed shifting the principal seat from its current location in central Guwahati.

It noted that this position has earlier been reflected in formal resolutions as well as a referendum conducted among its members.

The Bar Association has appealed to all advocates to respect the collective decision and refrain from attending the foundation stone-laying ceremony.

The Assam Cabinet had approved an allocation of Rs 479 crore in November last year for the first phase of construction of the judicial township.

The government has maintained that the relocation is part of a broader plan to develop the Brahmaputra riverfront, for which the High Court land at Uzan Bazar is required.

At present, the Gauhati High Court functions from a historic building along with a modern multi-storey complex built in recent years.

The two buildings, located on opposite sides of Mahatma Gandhi Road, are connected by an underground tunnel equipped with escalator facilities.

The GHCBA has consistently argued that shifting the court complex would cause inconvenience to litigants and lawyers alike and has called for an immediate halt to the project, citing the interests of all stakeholders and the general public.

--IANS