NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said yesterday that all possible steps would be taken to bring back Mahatma Gandhi’s memorabilia, even if it meant joining the auction. “The prime minister has directed me to do whatever possible. The bottom line is to get back the memorabilia,” Indian Culture and Tourism Minister Ambika Soni said.
Earlier, the Indian government rejected a proposal by the owner of Gandhi’s eyeglasses and other personal items that would have halted their auction.
Indian Junior Foreign Minister Anand Sharma said the demands, which included reallocating part of the national budget, infringed on the country’s sovereignty.
Gandhi’s iconic round-rimmed spectacles, a 1910 silver Zenith pocket watch, sandals, a bowl, a “thali” (plate) and letters of authenticity were meant for auction at New York-based Antiquorum Auctioneers despite protests in India and an injunction from a New Delhi court.
“We would not like to have these items auctioned from one party to another,” Soni said. “They are of symbolic importance to our people and our country.”
The owner of the Gandhi items, California-based collector James Otis earlier told Deutsche Presse-Agentur earlier that the Indian government was considering a proposal that would stop the auction.
Otis, a documentary filmmaker and self-professed peace activist, said he had offered to stop the auction if the Indian government agreed to either of two proposals — spend more on health care for the poor or create an international traveling Gandhi exhibit.
“We had several hours of talks Wednesday,” Otis said. “At first, the Indian officials tried to intimidate me, saying they would contact Interpol and declare me a fugitive, but by late evening, the discussions were positive.”
He said the proposal was sent to New Delhi for government approval and was then to be vetted by his lawyers before the auction could be canceled. But, Junior Minister Sharma ruled out agreeing to the conditions and appealed to Otis to respect the sentiments and memories of Gandhi. “Gandhi himself would not have agreed to the conditions,” Sharma was quoted as saying by the PTI news agency. “The government of India representing the sovereign people of this republic cannot enter into such agreements where it involves specific areas of allocation of resources.”
Otis’ first proposal was that the Indian government should agree to spend a higher proportion of its budget on health care for the poor by shifting its priority from military spending. He was also amenable to the government supporting educational events in 78 nations — one for each year that Gandhi lived — to promote his philosophy of non-violence. If the government accepted either proposal, he was willing to stop the auction, he said.
— With input from agencies
