Mahatma Gandhi's items, including his pocket watch, a pair of sandals, a plate, a bowl and his rimmed glasses, were sold at an auction by New York-based Antiquorum Auctioneers on Thursday. UB Group Chairman Vijay Mallya reportedly bought the items for $1.8 million.Preliminary reports suggested that Mallya may hand over the items to the Indian government.
United States-based collector James Otis, who was in the news recently for auctioning a set of Mahatama Gandhi's personal belongings, has claimed he has rarer items of the father of the nation and he was ready to 'negotiate' with the Indian government about returning them. These articles include the original of Harijan, a journal edited by Bapu, cotton clothes spun by him and his blood drops, claimed Otis.
Keen to ensure that the five priceless personal belongings of Mahatma Gandhi do not fall into the hands of a foreigner, the government worked on various options, one of which bore fruit as the bid was won through business tycoon Vijay Mallya.
James Otis, the owner of five of Mahatma Gandhi's personal items, on Thursday decided to withdraw from the controversial auction of the prized memorabilia, hours before they were due to come under the hammer. Sources close to Otis said he would formally communicate to the New York-based Antiquorum Auctioneers that he would like to withdraw from the auction.There was no immediate word from the auctioneer, who have maintained that the auction will take place as scheduled.
The items were purchased by Mallya after the auctioneers refused to take them off the auction despite request by Otis. But the Antiquorum said he would hold the items for two weeks because of notice by US Justice Department following Delhi High Court order staying the auction.
James Otis, a tall, curly man with a bewildered look, stood outside a building on New York's Madison Avenue Thursday afternoon around 2 pm announcing, with his pro-bono lawyer Ravi Batra by his side, that he had asked the Antiquorum auctioning house not to go ahead with the sale of the seven items belonging to Mahatma.
James Otis, who owns the personal belongings of Mahatma Gandhi including the iconic round glasses that are being put on auction on Thursday, has said that he is prepared to reach a financial settlement with the Indian government and take the items off the auction block. "But if the (Indian) government announces some major scheme for the poor, I will even donate these items," he added.
Aadhaar-related schemes and the Aadhaar Act exist on the assumption that Right to Privacy is not a Fundamental Right.
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