In regard to Christie's selling of Ghandi's last letters in London, India said they were not the real last manuscript written by Ghandi. However, the document selling is authentic and India hopes Christie's will donate and give it back to India. India said they will have the ability to preserve and keep the document much better than private collectors.
Well, after all the excitement I had for India, it just turn up to be all a fuss. Maybe it's the real thing, they just want to keep the price down and prevent private collector from escalating the price too much. =.=
related post : Christie's Auction of Ghandi's Last Letter
Wednesday, July 04, 2007
Follow up of Ghandi's Last Letter
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
Christie's Auction of Ghandi's Last Letter
Christie's, the major Global auction house and competitor of Sotheby's, is facing media attention when involving selling national identity's of India. The India government is trying their best to acquire the last letter written by Ghandi before his assassination from Christie's. It is said that the priceless document will be going under the hammer for a fixed reserved price of 9000 - 12000 pounds.
However, with all the publicity going on, and the intrusion of the Indian Government, it is speculated that the price of the letter might well be doubled.
In the letter written for the Harijan, 19 days before Gandhi was assassinated, he pleads for tolerance towards Muslims.
You can also say that the letter was an immediate effect that could have cause to Ghandi's death.
In 1998 when Sotheby's auctioned 18 letters of Gandhi, NRIs came forward to buy them for the sake of the country. But so far such a move has not happened yet.
Whether a not India will succeed in retrieving back the manuscript remains to be known. However, one thing to be make note. How did the manuscript got into the market in the first place? It is inevitable that India must try all means to get the letter back into their information and cultural division. As such things depicts a national identity, losing a chance to retrieve only meant as succumbing and showing signs of weakness as a country.
We all pray India get those letters back soon! God bless.