Just when the Union Textile Affairs Minister Smriti Irani and the BJP-led Uttar Pradesh Government was trying to shut down the Jais vocational centre, the High Court of Allahabad (Lucknow Bench), on Thursday passed interim orders that will allow the Vocational Training Centre in Amethi, to continue its activities.
The court order guarantees that the vocational training activity at the Centre will continue without any interruption from the government. This is being regarded as a major victory for the women of Amethi for the Jais centre—as argued in the Court—was providing vocational training for 15 years transforming the lives of more than 15 lakh women. The training provided at the Centre has transformed the lives of these women who have become not only financially independent but also feel empowered in their families and communities.
The closing down on the Jais centre was instigated by Smriti Irani. Irani who made several speeches and held various meetings with the district administration asked them to take forced action against the institute.
Notably, the land for the institute was allotted by the government over 3 decades ago to Manuj Kalyan Kendra, a not for profit organisation, for vocational training purposes. Activities carried out at the Centre are in fulfilment of the objects for which land was allotted to Manuj Kalyan Kendra. Rajiv Gandhi Mahile Vikas Pariyojana “RGMVP” was providing the training for and on behalf of Manuj Kalyan Kendra (MKK).
However, MKK continues to remain the allottee of the land of the training centre and RGMVP is merely a program conducting the training. By repeatedly questioning RGMVP on the land, the UP Government was deliberately trying to politicise the issue by sending notices to, manhandling and threatening women and physically visiting the premises asking threatening questions. After the Yogi Adityanath government came to power, the district administration had served a notice to the Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust on April 22, asking the trust under which order it was using the land.
Also, Irani had, during the 2014 general elections, first accused the Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust of using the land (about 10,000 square feet) in Jais alleging that it belonged to the state.
“By repeatedly questioning RGMVP on the land, the UP Government was deliberately trying to politicise the issue by sending notices to, manhandling and threatening women and physically visiting the premises asking threatening questions,” said Trust sources.
