The Fight Over Gandhi’s Glasses

03/5/09  Print This Post Print This Post    5 Comments   Popular   Written by Julie Schwietert
  • Stumble It

Photo: Mataparda

The auction, set for today at Manhattan’s Antiquorum auction house, is described simply as a collection of “important collectors’ wristwatches, pocket watches, and clocks.”

But lot #364 is REALLY important… and it’s causing quite a bit of interest and competition even outside the rarefied world of auctions.

Collector and peace activist James Otis submitted lot #364 for auction, and here’s what it includes: Mahatma Gandhi’s pocket watch, a pair of leather sandals, a bowl and plate used by Gandhi, Gandhi’s glasses, images of Gandhi, and letters of authenticity from Ghita Mehta, Talatsahid Khan Babi, and Professor Lester Kurtz.

The bids are expected to start between $20,000 and $30,000 US dollars. Otis has publicly said that he’ll use the proceeds to educate people about Gandhi’s philosophy of non-violence, especially in developing countries.

But the government of India is none too happy about Otis’s plan.

Upon learning that Otis had submitted this lot of items for auction, India, which considers the items to be part of the country’s cultural patrimony, demanded that they be returned to India immediately.

Otis, however, declined to do so. Instead, he went to the Indian Consulate General in New York, where he collaborated on drafting a compromise with the Indian government.

The terms? I’ll give you back Gandhi’s goods (which Otis acquired legally) if you agree to increase spending on the poor from the current 1% of the GDP to 5%. He also proposed that the Indian government sponsor a world tour of the items to promote knowledge about Gandhi. The Indian government rejected Otis’s proposal.

But Otis–and the world’s poor–may end up getting the best deal of all.

In an article run earlier today by the Associated Press and published in the Chicago Tribune, India’s culture minister, Ambika Soni confirmed that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has given her strict instructions to not allow any bidder at today’s auction outbid her. “[We will] offer whatever it takes,” Soni said, “to make sure these things come back to Gandhi’s motherland.”

The bidding may get fierce at this afternoon’s auction, but one thing seems certain: with India determined to acquire lot #364 at any price, Otis may well be able to bankroll an impressive anti-poverty campaign… thanks to the country that tried to resist just that.


  • Stumble It

About the Author

Matador ID: collazo

Julie Schwietert is the managing editor of Matador Network. She contributed a chapter to the recently published book, The Voluntary Traveler, and is currently working on five features for Fodor's Puerto Rico, 6th Edition.

5 Comments... join the discussion!

  • Eva replied on March 5, 2009

    I'm torn on this one. I kind of hate private collectors, and I'd really be curious to learn how these items wound up on the private market to begin with. Also, there's nothing binding him to his anti-poverty promises — he's a private individual, not an NGO, and once the sale is made he has zero accountability. On the other hand, assuming he's legit then his heart is certainly in the right place…

    (Report comment)

    ↵ Reply
  • Eva replied on March 5, 2009

    Huh. After reading the AP article I am even more suspicious/less sympathetic. He doesn't seem to be planning to bankroll an anti-poverty campaign? It only mentioned the planned pacifism education tour.

    (Report comment)

    ↵ Reply
  • Julie replied on March 5, 2009

    Eva- According to a Newsday and NPR (local WNYC) report, the items were all passed by Gandhi to individuals (some family, others acquaintances or strangers) in his travels; Otis acquired them later at auction. The pacifism education tour was proposed, as I understand it, after India learned of the auction and demanded that the items be returned. Otis said he'd agree to return the items if India agreed to host a pacifism education tour. His own plan–admittedly less detailed in reports that have been published so far–was reportedly to use the proceeds of the auction to launch anti-poverty awareness campaigns in India and other developing nations.

    (Report comment)

    ↵ Reply
  • riscphree replied on March 9, 2009

    Anyone know how much the auction went for?

    (Report comment)

    ↵ Reply
  • Julie replied on March 10, 2009

    Hi, riscphree- The closing bid was $1.8 million USD– WAAAAY above the auction house estimate! But in a twist, Otis pulled the items off the stand. The story, it appears, is to be continued….

    (Report comment)

    ↵ Reply

Leave a Comment

Jump To Category:



Explore the Community


Latest Community Blogs


Popular Stories on Matador

How to Move to Paris with No Money

This is for Americans with insufficient funds, but with... 

Hostel Sex: A Practical Guide For Backpackers

Getting it wherever a backpacker can...... 

10 Traveler's Tips For Rocking A Nudist Beach

Travelers tend to enjoy ultimate freedom on the road, t... 

12 Personal Travel Websites That Will Make You Quit Your Day Job

... 

Drunk and Driving On Berlin’s Beer Bike

Cars nervously skirt by the slowly moving vehicle, tour... 

10 Multi-Use Items You Should Consider Packing

... 



Focus



Editor Blogs