The seething crowd, in their attempt to meet with the board members, banged the door of the ashram and demanded they be let in.
One of the ashram committee members stepped out to rationalise their insistence to sell the land and build a 23-storey condominium tower, claiming that the profit amounting to millions of ringgit would be used to support three schools under the ashram’s care.
This did not bode well with the protestors who were firm on their stand to have the newly-gazetted heritage site remain untouched.
Brickfields Asia College Founder and Save Vivekananda Ashram Committee Member, Raja Singham, intervened and assured the protestors that the committee would do all it could to protect the 111-year-old building.
Speaking to the crowd, he said, “There are over one hundred thousand signatures supporting the preservation of this ashram. If each of us donate RM10 each, we would have more than a million ringgit to provide assistance for these three schools.
“Selling the land is not the answer. They (the board of trustees) said they want to support the schools, which are already aided. You don’t need to remove the heritage status on account of this. There are creative, intelligent ways to do things.” he said.
On November 19, the Vivekananda Ashram Board of Trustees filed for a judicial review to overturn the National Heritage Department’s move to gazette the century-old ashram as a historical site.
Minister of Tourism and Culture Nazri Aziz last month said their decision was final.