Indian-American hotelier plans Gandhi bid

Indian-American hotelier Sant Singh Chatwal said Wednesday he plans to bid on several belongings of Mahatma Gandhi scheduled for auction in New York Thursday, with the goal of returning them to India. “The idea is to get them back as a community and donate [them] to India,” Chatwal told CNN, adding that he would welcome other members of the Indian community in the United States to join him in his auction effort. Chatwal said if he obtains the items, he plans to give them to the museum where some of Gandhi’s items are kept

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Collector to India: Make an offer

The California-based collector who plans to auction off Mahatma Gandhi’s belongings said he will meet with Indian government officials on Wednesday to try to settle a row over the rightful ownership of the items. James Otis told CNN that he hopes the Indian government is “willing to offer something very generous to India’s poorest in exchange for the donation of the items to the government.” “I would hope that the Indian government would offer something as great as Gandhi’s cause,” Otis said in Los Angeles.

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India may bid as Gandhi’s glasses are auctioned

India is trying to reclaim the famous metal-rimmed glasses and other artifacts once owned by freedom leader Mahatma Gandhi that are up for auction next week in New York, a top official said Saturday. “The government will be doing whatever is required to get them back,” India’s culture ministry secretary Jawhar Sircar told CNN. He said there were “several options” in place for India

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