India Govt wants to prevent Gandhi auction
The Indian government is drawing up plans to prevent several of Mahatma Gandhi's personal possessions being sold at auction in New York, an official said Monday.
A special government committee has met twice to work out how to bring the items back to India, a ministry of culture spokesmen said.
"A committee has been formed to look into this, and it has submitted recommendations to the government," said the official, who declined to be named.
The March 4-5 auction has triggered a campaign for the return of the belongings, which include Gandhi's trademark round glasses, sandals, and pocket watch as well as some dishes.
One of the committee's proposals was to approach banks and corporate firms for money to buy the pieces before the sale, officials said.
In 2007 the culture ministry successfully negotiated with British auction house Christie's to secure a letter written by Gandhi shortly before his death.
But Gandhi's great-grandson Tushar Gandhi, who has launched a public appeal for funds to buy the items for the Mahatma Gandhi Foundation in Mumbai, was pessimistic about the government's efforts.
"Government committees generally don't work fast or efficiently. They just keep meeting," he said.
Tushar said so far he had raised 125,000 rupees (2,500 dollars) from donors, including one anonymous pledge of 100,000 rupees.
He said the auction house, Antiquorum Auctioneers, told him the items were likely to attract bids well above their estimate of between 20,000 and 30,000 dollars.
Tushar has said selling the items would be a "grave insult" to India's independence leader, while members of parliament have also called for them to be secured for public display in India.
The pieces are owned by a German collector who obtained them from Gandhi's grandniece, Ghita.
Tushar said they had been given to the current owner for display in museums and that Ghita was "morally not right" to provide a letter of authenticity for the sale.
"Her parents would never, ever have thought of making money out of selling these things," he said.
Gandhi, who eschewed material possessions, led India's nationalist movement against British rule and was assassinated in Delhi by a Hindu fanatic in 1948, a year after independence.
A special government committee has met twice to work out how to bring the items back to India, a ministry of culture spokesmen said.
"A committee has been formed to look into this, and it has submitted recommendations to the government," said the official, who declined to be named.
The March 4-5 auction has triggered a campaign for the return of the belongings, which include Gandhi's trademark round glasses, sandals, and pocket watch as well as some dishes.
One of the committee's proposals was to approach banks and corporate firms for money to buy the pieces before the sale, officials said.
In 2007 the culture ministry successfully negotiated with British auction house Christie's to secure a letter written by Gandhi shortly before his death.
But Gandhi's great-grandson Tushar Gandhi, who has launched a public appeal for funds to buy the items for the Mahatma Gandhi Foundation in Mumbai, was pessimistic about the government's efforts.
"Government committees generally don't work fast or efficiently. They just keep meeting," he said.
Tushar said so far he had raised 125,000 rupees (2,500 dollars) from donors, including one anonymous pledge of 100,000 rupees.
He said the auction house, Antiquorum Auctioneers, told him the items were likely to attract bids well above their estimate of between 20,000 and 30,000 dollars.
Tushar has said selling the items would be a "grave insult" to India's independence leader, while members of parliament have also called for them to be secured for public display in India.
The pieces are owned by a German collector who obtained them from Gandhi's grandniece, Ghita.
Tushar said they had been given to the current owner for display in museums and that Ghita was "morally not right" to provide a letter of authenticity for the sale.
"Her parents would never, ever have thought of making money out of selling these things," he said.
Gandhi, who eschewed material possessions, led India's nationalist movement against British rule and was assassinated in Delhi by a Hindu fanatic in 1948, a year after independence.
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