Government contacts owner of Bapu\'s belongings

Indian diplomats here are making all out efforts to stop the auction of Mahatma Gandhi\'s personal items, even as community leaders and groups are working out strategies to buy them if the auction goes ahead on Thursday.



After a high-level meeting

with the top diplomats of the Indian Consulate today, the Antiquorum Auctioneers promised to convey their final decision tonight just before Mahatma\'s item are due to go on auction on Thursday.



Despite extensive efforts by the Indian officials, neither the auction house nor the owner James Otis has shown any interest in taking Gandhi memorabilia off the block.



India has said it is approaching the US to prevent Gandhi\'s personal items from going under the hammer after Delhi High Court passed an interim injunction order to prevent the prized articles from being put on auction.



\"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 had said.



Among the items being auctioned are Gandhi\'s ionic 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.



Otis had said that he had added another two items - a blood report of Gandhi from Irwin Hospital and a telegram he sent to students congratulating them on peaceful demonstration - to the items being auctioned but they were not being displayed on the website so far.



He dismissed the relevance of the Delhi High Court\'s decision that put a stay on the auction, a media report said.



Analysts closely following the auction said that India could bring mainly moral pressure on the auctioneers and Otis to stop the auction.



During the meetings with the auctioneers at various levels, Indian diplomats had been emphasizing the sentimental value of the items for the Indians who, they explained, revere Gandhi and consider him \'father of the nation\'.



By donating them to India, the auctioneers were explained, they would earn enormous goodwill and international publicity whereas by auctioning them they will be projecting themselves as materialistic and indifferent to the sentiments of the people of India.



When they refused to take the items off the block, India offered to buy them at reserve price or at a reasonable negotiated price. But that too was not acceptable to them.



Though the auctioneers have valued the items at between $20,000 and $30,000, the controversy could raise the price several times, analysts say.



A spokesperson of the auctioneers said that they would not consider settling the items at a negotiated price and that India could bid for them through its representative.



Meanwhile, the Indian Consulate in New York rubbished the statements by auctioneers that the representatives of the Indian government had not been in touch with them.



In a statement today, the Consulate said it has been in regular contact with Antiquorum auctioneers since February 26 and has repeatedly asked them to cancel the auction of these items and donate them to the Government of India.



\"Since the auctioneers refused to do so, the Consulate also conveyed that the Government of India was willing to buy the items at the reserve price or a reasonable negotiated price,\" it added.



Otis had earlier offered 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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