AHMEDABAD: In a show of solidarity, Gujarat University (GU) has decided to take a token amount of Rs 1 lakh from state government for using its
ground for 20 days during Vibrant Gujarat Navratri festivities this year.
The daily rent of university ground comes to around Rs 51,000, amounting to Rs 10 lakh for the duration of the event. This move is likely to prompt protest from syndicate members who had opposed last year as well when GU had acted in similar manner.

“The event is not being organized for generating charity for the poor. It is a platform of interaction for rich and affluent industrialists and NRIs,” said a syndicate member. Students are also irked over the fact that invitation cards of this event mention GU ground as that of Gujarat Mineral Development Corporation (GMDC). “I’ve registered strong protest with the government, urging it to mention the name of university in the invitation and asked government not to make this mistake again next year,” said GU vice-chancellor Parimal Trivedi.

About the issue of token fee, Trivedi cited cooperative attitude towards the government. “Had the function belonged to any NGO or private organization, GU would have charged it Rs 51,000 per day. But as this event belongs to the government, we have to be reasonable,” he said.

VADODARA: The developments in Rajasthan over the royal property of Rajmata Gayatri Devi of Jaipur are coming as a bitter reminder of the similar tussle in Vadodara after Rajmata Shanta Devi of Baroda passed away in 2002. As granddaughter of the erstwhile Baroda state’s Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III and Maharani Chimnabai Rajmata Gayatri Devi had a distinct connection with the Gaekwad’s of Baroda. Just like Gayatri Dev’s stepsons and grandchildren are expected to enter into legal battle to make their claim over the royal property running into hundreds of crores that she has left behind, the scions of erstwhile rulers of Baroda great grandsons of Sayajirao, Sangramsinh Gaekwad and Ranjitsinh Gaekwad, are still fighting legal battles over the royal property which is estimated at Rs 10,000 crore.

Gayatri Devi’s mother was Princess Indira Raje of Baroda, the only daughter of Sir Sayajirao Gaekwad III who was engaged at a young age to Madho Rao Scindia, the then Maharaja of Gwalior, but later got married to Maharaja Jitendra of Cooch Behar. As second daughter of the Maharani of Cooch Behar, Gayatri Devi who even as Princess of Cooch Behar had attained celebrity status, got married to Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II of Jaipur as his third wife which in turn made her Rajmata of Jaipur.

When Maharaja Sawai Man Singh in 1970 died, the title of Maharaja was passed on to Bhawani Singh, the son of his eldest wife. Now, after Gayatri Devi passed away at 90, the fate of her legacy including stakes in around 17 palaces, forts, hotels and houses plus a famous jewellery collection (roughly estimated at Rs 4,800 crore) is unclear even as suspense is growing over her will.

“The royal feud of Jaipur is almost similar to that of Baroda. It was in early 1990’s that first signs of dispute over ownership rights between royal scions and grandchildren of Sayajirao Sangramsinh and Ranjitsinh emerged,” said a lawyer, who is well conversant with the royal feud of Baroda scions.

It was after Rajmata Shanta Devi passed away at the age of 88 in May 2002 that the dispute took ugly turns with series of litigations filed over Shanta Devi’s will. Even in the case of Jaipur’s royals, Rajmata Gayatri Devi’s son Jagat Singh had a dispute with the new Maharaja Bhawani Singh over ownership dispute that went to high court and resulted in some royal belongings being placed in care of receivers in 1992. Now even as Jagat Singh has passed away, the ownership issues are set to take ugly turns as Rajmata’s will is yet to be read out, he said.

Many might not know that the last years of both Rajmata Shanta Devi and Rajmata Gayatri Devi’s life were soured by disagreements and legal battles within the family.