FPJ Legal: Bombay HC issues notice to Maha govt over stalled project on publishing Dr Ambedkar’s speeches

FPJ Legal: Bombay HC issues notice to Maha govt over stalled project on publishing Dr Ambedkar’s speeches

The court had, last December, taken suo motu (on its own) cognisance of the stalled project of the Maharashtra government to publish the writings and speeches of Dr Ambedkar at the cost of Rs 5.45 crore.

Urvi MahajaniUpdated: Wednesday, January 12, 2022, 09:52 PM IST
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Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar | Photo: Representative Image

The Bombay high court Wednesday issued a notice to the Maharashtra government and sought its reply on the status of the state's project to publish the writings and speeches of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, and the work done so far by such committee.

A bench of Justices PB Varale and AS Kilor has directed the state government to file its reply within three weeks.

The court had, last December, taken suo motu (on its own) cognisance of the stalled project of the Maharashtra government to publish the writings and speeches of Dr Ambedkar at the cost of Rs 5.45 crore.

HC had noted that the same reflected a “sorry state of affairs” and that the publication of the same was necessary and desirable. It had then directed the high court registry to convert the issue into a PIL and make the Maharashtra government a respondent party to the same.

On Wednesday, advocate Swaraj Jadhav, who was appointed to assist the court, pointed out that although the state's 'Babasaheb Ambedkar Source Material Publication Committee was constituted in 1979, and was supposed to collate everything written by Ambedkar, his speeches, interviews etc.,' "nothing much was done."

Jadhav also said that there existed several important speeches given by Ambedkar in other countries. He said: “Some of these were published widely in the international media. The state government should be directed to also source such writings and speeches published by the international media.”

The Judges expressed that the government would not take this as adversarial litigation since it intended to raise an important issue.

Justice Varale said: “When the state took a decision to publish Ambedkar's speeches and writings, there was no bar on those published in the international media. There are even some interviews. So the committee can consider everything.”

“We don't think a specific direction is required to include material published in the international media. We will ask the state to file a proper reply and tell us what is the status of the committee, and the entire project. What has been done so far etc.,” added the judge.

The government pleaded with Poornima Kantharia, appearing for the government and said that the state was not treating it as an adversarial litigation and that it was ready to offer positive response to all the issues raised in the PIL.

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