High drama before Gandhi items’ auction

March 27th, 2009 NEW DELHI - US collector James Otis, who sparked a row by putting up for auction Mahatma Gandhi's belongings earlier this month, Friday apologised here for unintentionally hurting Indian sentiments. He said the money generated from the auction would go to organisations promoting Gandhian values.

March 7th, 2009 WASHINGTON - US collector James Otis says he is happy that some items from his collection of Gandhi memorabilia are going back to India, but feels the priceless treasure should have fetched at least $10 million for the cause of the underprivileged. 'I am very happy that the items will be going back to India,' he told IANS in a telephonic interview from New York.

March 7th, 2009 WASHINGTON - US collector James Otis has offered to donate a few more of Mahatma Gandhi's belongings to India provided New Delhi agrees to his proposal to substantially increase its spending on healthcare for the poor. 'I have other Gandhi belongings.

March 7th, 2009 NEW YORK/NEW DELHI - Days of high drama over the auction of Gandhi's memorabilia in New York ended on a triumphant note for India as business tycoon Vijay Mallya put in a bid of $1.8 million, winning not only the five heritage items but also gushing praise from Indians young and old. Gandhi's steel-rimmed spectacles, a pair of sandals, a Zenith pocket watch, an eating bowl and a plate were put under the hammer, as scheduled, by Antiquorum Auctioneers in New York Thursday despite an outcry by Indians, mounting Indian government pressure and even a reported change of heart on the part of the US collector to auction the items.

March 6th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Hours before a few of Mahatma Gandhi's personal items were set to go under the hammer, a New York auction House Thursday said it was going ahead with the sale amid reports that New Delhi had rejected a proposal from the collector. 'The auction is on,' a spokesperson for Antiquorum Auctioneers, a Manhattan auction house, told IANS on telephone four hours before the scheduled auction Thursday afternoon (early Friday morning India time).

March 6th, 2009 NEW YORK - A national treasure is set to return home with Indian tycoon Vijay Mallya buying Mahatma Gandhi's personal possessions, including his trademark round-rimmed spectacles, for $1.8 million at an action-packed auction here. Mallya won the bid after a day of high drama as New York's Antiquorum Auctioneers went ahead with the auction Thursday despite protests in India and an injunction from Delhi High Court seeking to halt the sale and the collector James Otis himself trying to pull out at the last minute.

March 6th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Although disappointed that the auction of Gandhi's memorabilia went through as scheduled in New York, Indians, young and old, were elated that the Mahatma's personal belongings will finally find their way back home. 'We tried our best.

March 6th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Asserting that Vijay Mallya bought Mahatma Gandhi's belongings in an auction in New York in conjunction with the Indian government, Union Tourism Minister Ambika Soni said here Friday that it will be a while before the items are handed over to the tycoon. 'The UPA (United Progressive Alliance) government has successfully bought the personal items gifted by Mahatma Gandhi to a person during his lifetime.

March 6th, 2009 NEW YORK - Indian tycoon Vijay Mallya bought a set of Mahatma Gandhi's personal belongings, including his trademark round-rimmed spectacles, for $1.8 million at an auction in New York Thursday amid high drama. It was not immediately clear if the articles would be returned to the government or kept in private possession.

March 6th, 2009 NEW YORK - Amid high drama, a set of Mahatma Gandhi's personal belongings including his iconic round-rimmed spectacles were sold for $1.8 million at an auction in New York Thursday to Indian liquor tycoon Vijay Mallya. Tony Bedi placed the winning bid at New York's Antiquorum Auctioneers auction house despite protests in India and an injunction from Delhi High court seeking to halt the sale.

March 6th, 2009 NEW YORK - Hours before several of Mahatma Gandhi's belongings were set to go under the hammer here Thursday, Indian officials were in talks with James Otis, a collector of Gandhi memorabilia, in a last minute bid to stop the auction. In focus at the resumed talks are his offer to withdraw the items, provided the Indian government agrees to either increase government spending on the poor or to create an international travelling exhibit about Gandhi.

March 5th, 2009 NEW DELHI - India will not enter into agreements and accept conditions on the possessions of Mahatma Gandhi, minister of state for external affairs Anand Sharma said here Thursday, while appealing to US collector James Otis to withdraw from sale the Gandhi relics that are scheduled to be auctioned in a few hours. 'We appeal to the good sense of James Otis to withdraw these items from the auction,' Sharma told a television channel just about 12 hours before the auction.

March 5th, 2009 WASHINGTON/NEW YORK - As Indian diplomats worked overtime to prevent Mahatma Gandhi's possessions from going under the hammer, a California collector made another conditional offer to withdraw the items from Thursday 's auction in New York. The collector, James Otis, said he would withdraw the Gandhi items from the auction if India agrees either to substantially increase the amount spent on health care for the poor or to support educational events to promote Gandhian non-violent resistance in 78 countries, representing each year of Gandhi's life.

March 4th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Mahatma Gandhi's granddaughter Tara Gandhi Bhattacharjee Wednesday urged the auctioneers of his personal belongings to withdraw the process and hand them over to India, respecting the sentiments of hundreds of millions of its people. 'In this particular case, going by the sentiments of the people of India, the stake-holders in New York should give these objects back to India, without resorting to any sale,' said Bhattacharjee, vice chairperson of the Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Samiti.

February 28th, 2009 NEW DELHI - With pressure mounting to stop the auction of Mahatma Gandhi's artefacts in the US, the government Saturday said it is 'exploring all options' to prevent this. Five personal belongings of Mahatma Gandhi - a pocket watch, spectacles, sandals, bowl and plate - are up for auction March 4-5 in New York.