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India makes Gandhi auction pledge Gandhi items 'to return to India'
(about 14 hours later)
The Indian government says it will do everything possible to bring back the personal effects of Mahatma Gandhi which are to be auctioned in New York. An auction of personal effects of Mahatma Gandhi has gone ahead, despite protests from India and the seller's last-minute attempt to halt it.
Culture Minister Ambika Soni said the government would bid for the items if they were unable to stop the auction. James Otis offered Gandhi's iconic round glasses, a pocket watch, leather sandals, plate and bowl for sale.
Antiquorum Auctioneers are to sell Gandhi's iconic round glasses, a pocket watch, leather sandals and some other items in a few hours time. His decision to withdraw came only after bidding had begun and the items sold for $1.8m (£1.27m).
The planned auction has led to an uproar in India. They were bought by Indian businessman VJ Mallya, who plans to return them to India, his agent said.
The government has been under immense pressure to bring back the items. "I am sure all Indians will be pleased that these Gandhi items will be coming home," said Tony Bedi, who had bid at the auction on Mr Mallya's behalf.
'Whatever it takes' "Basically he was bidding for the country," said Mr Bedi.
"If we cannot stop the auction which is gross commercialisation of Mahatma Gandhi's personal items, we will bid for them," Ms Soni told a press conference in Delhi. The Antiquorum auction house in New York says it will not finalise the sale for two weeks to allow any legal issues to be resolved.
"We will do whatever it takes to get Gandhi's memorabilia back to India," she said. Pressure
Gandhi had few possessions Gandhi is widely revered in IndiaThe auction had led to uproar in India, with one minister calling it a "gross commercialisation".
Ms Soni said the prime minister wanted Mahatma Gandhi's items back by all means possible and he had authorised the government to bid for them. The Indian government had come under immense pressure to bring back the items.
She said India was in touch with the US and international legal agencies to get the articles back. "Gandhiji himself would not have agreed to these conditions," India's Junior Foreign Minister Anand Sharma said earlier.
The government has also rejected conditions set by James Otis - the US-based collector and owner of the items to be auctioned - for stopping the memorabilia from going under the hammer.
Mr Otis had said he would withdraw the items from the auction and donate them to India if the Indian government allocated five percent of its budgetary spending for the poor.
"Gandhiji himself would not have agreed to these conditions," junior foreign minister Anand Sharma said.
Mr Sharma appealed to Mr Otis to withdraw the items from the auction.
"Gandhiji's memory and values should not be violated, the auction should not take place," he said."Gandhiji's memory and values should not be violated, the auction should not take place," he said.
Mr Otis, a peace activist, said that he wanted to sell the items to raise money to promote pacifism.
He had earlier said he would withdraw the items from the auction and donate them to India if the Indian government allocated 5% of its budgetary spending for the poor.
But Mr Sharma said the Indian government could not "enter into such agreements where it involves specific areas of allocation of resources".
'Very dear''Very dear'
Gandhi's spectacles, which he once said gave him "the vision to free India", a pair of his sandals and his pocket watch are among the five items for sale, which also include a plate and a bowl used by Gandhi. Gandhi's spectacles, which he once said gave him "the vision to free India", a pair of his sandals and his pocket watch were among the five items due to be sold. A plate and a bowl used by Gandhi were also among the lots.
His leather sandals are among five items to be auctioned His leather sandals were among the items auctioned
"The Zenith watch that will be sold was gifted to him by Indira [Gandhi], who became the prime minister of India later on, and it was very dear to Bapu [Gandhi]," Gandhi's great grandson Tushar Gandhi, told the BBC. "The Zenith watch that will be sold was gifted to him by Indira [Gandhi], who became the prime minister of India later on, and it was very dear to Bapu [Gandhi]," Gandhi's great-grandson Tushar Gandhi, told the BBC.
"The plate and the bowl are the ones from which he took his last meal before he was murdered."The plate and the bowl are the ones from which he took his last meal before he was murdered.
"The sandals he made with his own hands, and he gifted them to a British army officer who had taken photographs during his halt in Aden when he was on his way to London to attend the round table conference [to discuss India's independence]," Mr Gandhi explained."The sandals he made with his own hands, and he gifted them to a British army officer who had taken photographs during his halt in Aden when he was on his way to London to attend the round table conference [to discuss India's independence]," Mr Gandhi explained.
Mahatma Gandhi is widely revered in India as the leader of the independence movement against British rule.Mahatma Gandhi is widely revered in India as the leader of the independence movement against British rule.