Cafe Samovar got a reprieve when on Monday, the Supreme Court challenged Jehangir Art gallery's claim of being a governmental institute
Cafe Samovar got a reprieve when on Monday, the Supreme Court challenged Jehangir Art gallery's claim of being a governmental institute
There isn't a doubt that Cafe Samovar is one of the last remnants of a nostalgic Mumbai. "This restaurant has served on occasion, as a theatre for dramatic performances, a meeting place for executives, young lovers and students.
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It has been an oasis for several generations of youth, sometimes dreaming, but always struggling to make their mark in the city.
It has become as permanent place in Kala Ghoda as has the Gateway of India in Mumbai," filmmaker Shyam Benegal writes in a petition to save the cafe known for its Kheema Parathas, and Club Sandwiches.
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Along with daughters Devieka Bhojwani and Malvika Sangghvi, Khanna compiled its history in a coffee table book titled, Samovar: How A Mumbai Cafe Became A Metaphor for A Generation. At the book release, Jaya Bachchan reportedly said it was the venue for her first date with the Big B.
Samovar has been receiving eviction notices from the trustees of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sanghralaya, which runs the Jehangir Art Gallery.
They want to evict the cafe and use the 600 sq ft space to store files and canvasses. Back in 2000, Jehangir Art Gallery and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (formerly the Prince of Wales Museum) decided to project themselves as government bodies after they got a notification from the Housing Department of the government of Maharashtra, dated March 20, 2000, exempting them from the Rent Act.
Taking refuge under the Bombay Government Premises (Eviction) Act 1955, the gallery and the museum approached the court of the Competent Authority Mumbai, and sent a show cause notice to Cafe Samovar on March 14, 2005. They jointly filed a case, claiming that they are a government body and that they need more space.
Truth is, they are both trusts. The Museum is a private trust while the Gallery is a public trust. The Museum's newsletter clearly states its autonomous status on its front page with the line: "It is a non-profit making, non-commercial autonomous body unaided by the government".
The case was heard by the Competent Officer of Deputy Collector Rank, and an eviction order against Samovar was passed on July 24, 2008.
The eviction order by challenged by Cafe Samovar in the City Civil Court and the Mumbai High Court, both of which dismissed the case.
The cafe has approached the Supreme Court of India. Hope was revived on January 25, when a joint bench comprising Justice KS Radhakrishnan and Justice RV Raveendran, challenged the gallery's claim of being State.
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The cafe's notice board has charts covered with petitions scrawled by patrons. Meanwhile, artists, lawyers, writers and loyal customers wait for the Supreme Court to decide the fate of this important cultural institution that fosters liberal dialogue.
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