Mahatma’s belongings, a national inheritance.
Indian diplomats in New York on Wednesday were continuing efforts to stop the auction of Mahatma Gandhi’s personal belongings. Indian community leaders and groups are also working out strategies to outbid non-Indian buyers if the auction does go ahead on Thursday as scheduled.
After a high-level meeting with officials from the Indian Consulate today, the Antiquorum Auctioneers promised to convey their final decision Wednesday night just before Mahatma’s personal belongings go under the hammer on Thursday.
Efforts by Indian officials notwithstanding, neither the auction house nor the owner James Otis have given any indications of removing the items from Thursday’s auction list.
India has said it will approach the US to prevent Gandhi’s personal items from being auctioned after the Delhi High Court passed an interim injunction order to prevent the prized articles from being put on sale.
“The Ministry of External Affairs is going to take up with the US State Department the issue with an aim of stalling the auction at Antiquoroum Auctioneeer in New York,” Tourism and Culture Minister Ambika Soni was quoted as saying by PTI.
Among the items being auctioned are Gandhi’s pocket watch, glasses, a plate, bowl and a pair sandals. Antiquorum Auctioneers have started displaying on their website items, including Gandhi’s, they are planning to sell.
Meanwhile Otis has added another two items to his list of Gandhi memorabilia up for sale on Thursday, including a blood report of Gandhi from Irwin Hospital and a telegram he sent to students congratulating them on peaceful demonstration.
Meanwhile analysts have said that India could only bring mainly moral pressure on the auctioneers and Otis to stop the auction and the Delhi High Court injunction is not likely to be deemed relevant in the US.
During meetings with the auction house, Indian officials are reported to have emphasized the sentimental value of the items for Indians who, they explained, revere Gandhi and consider him ‘father of the nation’.
Indian officials told the auctioneers that donating the goods to India would result in and international publicity whereas auctioning the items would be construed as them being materialistic and indifferent to the sentiments of the people of India.
Knowing that it is on to a good thing, the auction house is now counting on the goods to fetch them a whopper as a profit, for which they have refused to sell them to India at a reasonable reserve or negotiated price.
The auctioneers had initially valued the goods at between $20,000 and $30,000, but the current controversy could see bids soar to several times that amount.
Otis had earlier proposed to donate the items to India free but put the condition that the government should agree to spend five per cent of GDP on the poor or announce some major scheme which would benefit them.
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