The Hindu : National : India acquires Gandhi’s manuscript

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Wednesday, Jul 04, 2007
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India acquires Gandhi’s manuscript

The document was withdrawn from Tuesday morning’s session by Christie’s

It’s not clear whether and how much money was paid
Acquisition follows extensive negotiations

London: The Indian Government has acquired the manuscript of Mahatma Gandhi, a day after it was decided to take it off the auctioneer’s hammer. However, it was not clear whether and how much money was paid for that.

“The Government of India is in possession of the manuscript [of the piece] Mahatma Gandhi had written 19 days before his assassination pleading for tolerance of Muslims in India [for his journal Harijan],” a senior High Commission official told PTI on Tuesday.

Asked whether any money was paid, he said the Government negotiated with the auctioneers and representatives of the late Albin Schram of Switzerland, who owned it. The conditions of the transaction “have to be kept in confidence,” he said.

The document, which was withdrawn from Tuesday morning’s session by auctioneers Christie’s after negotiations with the Indian Government, was part of an extensive collection and a reserve price of £9,000-12,000 was set for it.

External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee appeared to indicate that some money could have been paid for acquiring the manuscript. “That is part of negotiation,” he told journalists accompanying him on a trip to Ethiopia when asked how much money was involved.

The official profusely thanked Christie’s and Amin Jaffer, International director of Asian Art at Christie’s, for facilitating the negotiations.

Reports last week that the document would be up for acution triggered immediate reaction in India with several Gandhians urging the Government to intervene. — PTI

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