The trustees had illegally prevented us from
having food at the Ashram Dining Room intimidating us with the presence of
police. The Warden of Jenny Women’s Hostel had refused to accommodate us and had
also informed Manoj Das Gupta about their reluctance to continue with whatever
underhand undertaking that had taken place between them. However the trustees not
only continued to deny and deprive we five sisters from partaking food from
Dining Room, they failed to make any alternative provisions for our
sustenance. Therefore we filed I.A.No.2094/2010 for restoring our food and all
other facilities. Orders were passed allowing us to eat at Ashram Dining Room
on 27.10.2010.
In the evening of 27.10.2010 we five sisters made urgent attempts
to meet Manoj Das Gupta. We finally landed up at Manushri Chatterjee’s house, his girl-friend with whom he daily has his dinner. We rang the bell
and none other than Manjushri opened the door. After several requests, during which
her brother Swadesh came out and tried to shoo us away but we did not leave,
Manoj Das Gupta finally came forward to talk us. We informed him that our food
and all other amenities and facilities and as provided to every inmate had been
restored to us on 27.10.2010 by the order passed in I.A. No.2094/2010 by the
Hon’ble Judge of the Principal District Munsif at Pondicherry. At first he
simply refused to believe us. Then when we read out the directive portion of order
of restoration, he hid behind his façade of seemly obedience and questioned the
veracity of the order.
Only when we categorically informed him that we
were going to eat our dinner at Ashram Dining Room that he toned down and sarcastically
replied, ‘one more day of not eating in Dining Room will not really kill you.’ What
a thoroughly reprehensible statement! We answered him that only we knew with
what great difficulty we had survived this ordeal without having food but he
simply laughed mockingly. He then told us that we could only eat at Dining Room
after he had consulted with the other trustees, his co-conspirators, and asked
us to meet him the next day at Trust Office, inaptly named ‘Grace Office’ by
the trustees since this office has brought total disgrace to the whole of Ashram
community.
As instructed we went to Dis-“Grace Office” today
at about 11.30 p.m. Once again Manoj Das Gupta met us surrounded and supported by
women-inmates. Shilpi Shroff, Jahnavi Ravikanti, Abhipsa Nagda were some of the
women we spotted standing behind him when Manoj Das Gupta informed us that we
could go and have our lunch at Ashram Dining Room. We wanted in writing his
statement but he assured us that there would be no problem and that no one
would stop us.
However when we went to the Ashram Dining Room people
took our photos, which is not permitted, and passed nasty comments. Thank God,
at least nobody denied us food.
