The rare manuscript of Mahatma Gandhi [Images] written 19 days before his assassination, which was held back from auction in London [Images] by Christie's, was not the last piece authored by him. "This is not his last manuscript. In our collections, we have a similar handwritten draft, which is dated January 12, 1948. We also have another document of January 27, 1948," Nehru Memorial Museum and Library Director Mirdula Mukherjee told PTI on Tuesday.
She said it is for the Ahmedabad-based Navjivan Trust to decide whether NMML should keep the manuscript when the government gets it back from Britain. "We have one of the largest collection of Gandhiji's memorabilia," she said.
"It is for the trust to decide whether we are the best institution to preserve the writings of Gandhiji. They have reposed their trust with us a number of times. And we are hopeful that this time too they will trust us," she said.
Describing the move to bring back the manuscript back to India as "a big victory for India and the Indian government", she said, "Now there is no danger of it going into private hands."
The Christie's agreed to withdraw the Mahatma's manuscript from auction on Tuesday so that the Indian government could acquire it.
The Christie's had earlier fixed a reserve price of 9,000 to 12,000 pounds for Gandhiji's manuscript written on January 11, nineteen days before his assassination, and which was published in his journal Harijan.
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