By Arun Pratap Singh
Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 22 Dec: The ongoing agitation by the practicing advocates in Dehradun intensified today as they took to the streets and gheraoed the Ghanta Ghar here today. Through this agitation, the lawyers have signalled a decisive escalation of their long-pending agitation over demand for land allotment to them for their chambers. The demonstration held today marks a sharp turn in the agitation, with the legal fraternity expressing deep resentment over what they described as repeated verbal assurances by the government and administration, but unaccompanied by any written orders or concrete decisions. The Doon Bar Association has warned of escalated agitation in a phased manner across Uttarakhand, in case its demands continue to be ignored.
The blockade at Clock Tower led to massive traffic congestion in one of Dehradun’s busiest commercial zones, causing considerable inconvenience to commuters and shopkeepers. Visuals of stranded vehicles and sloganeering advocates circulated widely on social media platforms, drawing public attention to the protest. A heavy police force remained deployed in the area to prevent any untoward incident and to manage the situation. The advocates have been sitting on a continuous dharna outside the new court building on Haridwar Road for nearly a month, during which several rounds of discussions were held with ministers and senior officials. However, the lawyers allege that despite repeated meetings, only verbal assurances have been offered, prompting the decision to intensify the agitation by blocking Clock Tower.
The protest was organised despite prohibitory orders issued earlier by the Senior Superintendent of Police, who had restricted demonstrations at Clock Tower without prior permission under Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita. The advocates went ahead with the protest without official clearance, asserting that they were not intimidated by the threat of legal action. They maintained that filing cases against protesting lawyers would not resolve the core issue and accused the administration of attempting to suppress legitimate demands instead of addressing them.
At the heart of the agitation is the proposed construction of a night shelter within the District Judge Court complex. The Bar Association has opposed the move, arguing that the court premises are already severely overcrowded. According to the advocates, nearly 5,000 lawyers practice at the Dehradun courts, accompanied by an equal number of typists, clerks and vendors, apart from hundreds of litigants who visit the complex daily. They contend that the existing land is grossly inadequate and that priority should be given to the construction of advocates’ chambers. The lawyers are demanding that additional land be allocated to them and have specifically sought the transfer of the Civil Compound land on Haridwar Road for this purpose.
Bar Association president Manmohan Kandwal stated that several officials visited the protest site, but the Chief Minister has yet to meet the advocates, and their demands have not been placed before the Cabinet. He alleged that while assurances continue to be made orally, no authority is willing to issue a written commitment. Kandwal remarked that either the IAS officers were failing to properly convey the seriousness of the matter to the Chief Minister or there was a reluctance to address the issue at the highest level. He reiterated that the advocates would persist with their agitation and expand it in stages until their demands were formally accepted and documented, making it clear that the legal fraternity was prepared for a prolonged struggle.
