I am ready to negotiate Gandhi’s more items with Indian govt: James Otis

August 12th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Union Coal Minister Sri Prakash Jaiswal has said that the government has decided to buy the house in Johannesburg, where Mahatma Gandhi had lived for over a year. Gandhiji lived in this house between 1908 and 1909 while practising as an advocate and fighting racial discrimination in South Africa.

March 27th, 2009 NEW DELHI - James Otis, the US based collector and auctioneer of Mahatma Gandhi's personal belongings, today asserted that the purpose behind the auction was to remind the world about Gandhi's greatness. Addressing a news conference here, Otis, who sparked a row by putting up for auction Gandhi's belongings earlier this month, apologized for unintentionally hurting Indian sentiments and asserted that the purpose of the auction was to remind the people about his teachings.

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 22nd, 2009 BANGALORE - Industrialist Vijay Mallya, who bought the belongings of Mahatma Gandhi for 1.8 million dollar at an auction in New York, has sought government's approval for waiver of import duty on the memorabilia of historical value and national sentiments. Taking to mediapersons here on Saturday, Mallya said that he is waiting for necessary permissions from the government to bring the memorabilia back on the Indian soil.

March 7th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Liquor baron Vijay Mallya, who acquired Mahatma Gandhi's memorabilia at an auction in New York with a $1.8 million (Rs. 93.18 million) bid, Friday said he would gift the items to the government though he has not been contacted by Indian officials for this.

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 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/WASHINGTON - With just a few hours left before some of Mahatma Gandhi's memorablia go under the hammer in New York, India Thursday said it would do everything - even make a bid at auction - to get these back. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has asked the embassy in the US and officials in India to do everything needed to get back the articles - a Zenith pocket watch, steel-rimmed spectacles, a pair of sandals and an eating bowl and plate used by Mahatma Gandhi.

March 6th, 2009 NEW DELHI - With a few hours left before some of Mahatma Gandhi's personal belongings go under the hammer at a New York auction, India said Thursday it could bid for the articles and is trying to get them back home. Culture Minister Ambika Soni said Thursday: 'We have to get Mahatma Gandhi's belongings back and are looking at all options.

March 5th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Indian government Wednesday said it was doing everything possible to acquire the personal belongings of Mahatma Gandhi from a US-based collector and has even sought the State Department's help to stop the auction of these items in New York. 'We have asked our embassy in Washington and Consulate General of India in New York to do everything that is required through the bidding process or otherwise to acquire the personal assets of the Father of the Nation for the country,' Minister of State for External Affairs Anand Sharma said here.

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 4th, 2009 NEW DELHI - In an effort to stop Mahatma Gandhi's personal belongings from going under the hammer at a New York auction, the Delhi High Court put an interim stay on it Tuesday. The order came after Ahmedabad-based Navjivan Trust approached the high court seeking a stay on the auction of five prized articles of Gandhi, including his iconic round glasses and sandals, by the US-based Antiquorum Auctioneers Thursday.

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.

March 4th, 2009 NEW DELHI/WASHINGTON - In what could stop Mahatma Gandhi's personal belongings from going under the hammer at a New York auction, the Delhi High Court put an interim stay on it Tuesday even as the Indian government said it was 'doing whatever' it could. The high court order came after Ahmedabad-based Navjivan Trust approached it seeking a stay on the auction of five of Gandhi's personal belongings, including his iconic round glasses and sandals, by the US-based Antiquorum Auctioneers Thursday.

January 29th, 2009 NEW DELHI - India is ready to look at lowering further the number of items in the negative list for trade with least developed countries (LDCs) such as Bangladesh, a senior commerce ministry official said here Friday. 'We have already reduced the negative list from 765 to 480 items.