2009-03-06
Items that were owned by Indian independence leader Mahatma Gandhi are on display before being auctioned at Antiquorum Auctioneers in New York March 5, 2009.
NEW DELHI, March 6 (Xinhua) -- India took the services of one of the country's foremost liquor barons to get back the personal belongings of its legendary Independence leader Mahatma Gandhi from an auction in New York as an Indian court order prohibits the government from taking part in the event directly, Indian Culture Minister Ambika Soni said Friday.
"The priceless items were procured through the services of an Indian (liquor baron), Vijay Mallya and his representative was in touch with us through the Indian Consulate in New York," Soni told the media.
A pair of wire rimmed glasses that were owned by Indian independence leader Mahatma Gandhi are on display before being auctioned at Antiquorum Auctioneers in New York March 5, 2009.
The Los Angeles-based owner of Mahatma Gandhi memorabilia put up for auction Friday a rare collection of five personal and trademark belongings of Gandhi -- his metal-rimmed glasses, pocket watch, a pair of sandals, and a plate and bowl -- which India was under intense pressure to acquire on the grounds they are part of its national heritage.
The set of items belonging to India's modern founding father Mahatma Gandhi will return to India for public display, Mallya's representative, Tony Bedi, who flew from San Francisco to New York for the auction, told local television.
"I am sure all Indians will be pleased that these Gandhi items will be coming home," Bedi said.
However, the United States Justice Department had asked the auction house to hold the set for two weeks pending a resolution between the owner, James Otis, and the U.S. and Indian governments. Otis has announced outside the Antiquorum Auctioneers auction house that he had decided not to sell the items in the light of controversy and wanted it back immediately.
The Indian government had tried to stop the auction until the last minute, saying India opposed the commercialization of Gandhi's belongings as it went against the ideas of the statesman.
Last minute talks between Otis and the Indian government to stop the items from going under the hammer failed after the owner put tough conditions for calling off the sale, including that India should agree to spend 5 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) on the poor in exchange for the memorabilia.
Otis has also asked the Indian government to organize an exhibition tour of Gandhi's non-violence ideas around the world as a condition for stopping the sale, which was rejected by India along with the previous demand.
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