Revival of Nagari Pracharini Sabha: Allahabad HC upholds victory of management committee led by poet Vyomesh Shukla

The Court order said: “…after the declaration of the result of the general election, the instant petition cannot be taken as a tool for redressal of the grievances, if any available with the petitioner.”

In its ruling, the high court emphasised that the announcement of election results should not be delayed through frivolous lawsuits and complaints. The petition was, thereafter, rejected.

With this legal resolution, all departments of the organisation, including the Aryabhasha Library, are now poised to reopen. Hindi enthusiasts, readers, and researchers can once again access the institution, which has been closed for an extended period.

The conflict over the management committee of Nagari Pracharini Sabha has been going on since 2015. Two self-proclaimed ‘authentic’ management committees existed, each claiming legitimacy.

In 2020, Vyomesh Shukla, a prominent Hindi poet and renowned cultural activist, sought to be involved in the case. The Court, in its decision, declared both existing managing committees as illegitimate and null, mandating new elections based on the membership list of 2004-2007.

One party contested the decision of the sub-district magistrate by filing a writ in the high court in 2022. The high court, through an interim order, facilitated the elections but stated that the determination of effective control over the institution would only be decided after the final judgment in the case.

On June 9, 2022, the district administration conducted elections amid tight security at the Rifle Club, for 19 posts as ordered by the High Court, with the votes securely stored, pending the final decision. Subsequent interim orders led to the counting of votes, resulting in the election of Vyomesh Shukla as the ‘prime minister’ and Professor Anuradha Banerjee as the ‘president’. However, the final verdict was pending, keeping all departments of the organisation closed.

Vyomesh Shukla, who was elected pradhan mantri of Nagri Pracharini Sabha, told The Indian Express: “The verdict vindicates our stand. It is a landmark judgment. This is the victory of justice and sovereignty of literature. This is also the victory of efforts to restore the lost glory of Benaras…”

Nagari Pracharini Sabha was founded in 1893 for the promotion of the Devanagari script.