Mahatma Gandhi abhorred liquor. He fought for the imposition of prohibition in India. It is a supreme irony that a liquor baron Mr. Vijay Mallya, had to step in and bid for the personal belongings of Mahatma Gandhi, which were being auctioned in New York. Mr.Vijay Mallya, successfully won the bid and the personal belongings of Mahatma Gandhi are set to return to India shortly.
But the question is, how did the personal belongings of Mahatma Gandhi actually reach a private collector in America ? While it was easy for the Indians to blame the British Rule, for the loss of the Kohinoor Diamond and several other important sculptures like Natraja, they have no excuse for the loss of the personal belongings of Mahatma Gandhi, who was assassinated after India’s Independence.
What did the Government of the day do to preserve the legacy of Mahatma Gandhi ? Why were his personal belongings neglected ? Who is responsible for this lapse ? The entire episode reflects the fact that Gandhi was only paid lip service by the nation and no body took him seriously after Independence, either during his life time or death.
Gandhi fought for truth, which is a rare commodity in contemporary India. He fought for non-violence, whereas there is considerable violence in the country. As none of the principles of Gandhi are followed, it is no surprise that his belongings were also neglected after his death.
The auction once again exposes the clumsy functioning of the Government. While Mr.Vijaya Mallya claims that, he has purchased the belongings of Mahatma Gandhi, with his own funds, the Government claims the credit.
While the Western Countries preserve their heritage, the Indian Government is neglecting it. It is no surprise, that all the major pieces of art are actually in some museums either in U.S.A. or U.K.. Perhaps, it is better to allow them to be there, as they will be well preserved for the posterity, whereas, in India there is no guarantee for their safety. Some years back, the noble prize medal which was given to Ravindranath Tagore was stolen from a museum and the medal is yet to be recovered.
Perhaps, after 50 years the medal may find its way into some auction in New York and let us hope that Vijay Mallya will be around to bid for it and bring it back to India.
Tags: Gandhi auction
