“Generations to come will scarce believe that such a one, as this (Gandhi), ever in flesh and blood walked upon this earth.” — Albert Einstein
Today “the sacred pieces of Indian heritage” would go to the highest bidder in the USA. These are Mahatma Gandhi‘s few surviving personal effects, including a pair of wire-rimmed spectacles, a Zenith pocket watch and a pair of sandals.
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, reports CNN.
” ‘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, who lives in New York, is the president and CEO of Hampshire Hotels and Resorts, a multi-national corporation based in New York. In the United States, he is a well-known supporter of Democratic Party causes and candidates. Former President Bill Clinton attended his son’s wedding in New Delhi, India, three years ago.”
“The Indian Government has made a symbolic attempt to block the sale, with the High Court in Delhi issuing an injunction – unenforceable in the United States – that outlaws the auction of the items, reports The Times of London.
“Gandhi, who was shot dead by a Hindu extremist in 1948, is revered around the world for his use of non-violent civil disobedience to help to lead India to independence. He was killed while taking a walk around the grounds of Birla House in Delhi.
“Indian diplomats held an emergency meeting yesterday in New York with Antiquorum Auctioneers, the company that intends to sell the items. Unperturbed by the diplomatic pressure, Antiquorum has insisted that the sale will go ahead.”
Meanwhile India’s Union Minister for Tourism and Culture Ambika Soni has told NDTV that the Indian government will do everything possible to ensure that Mahatma Gandhi’s belongings are brought back to India with or without auction.
More here, and more Gandhi videos here.
Swaraaj Chauhan describes his two-decade-long stint as a full-time journalist as eventful, purposeful, and full of joy and excitement. In 1993 he could foresee a different work culture appearing on the horizon, and decided to devote full time to teaching journalism (also, partly, with a desire to give back to the community from where he had enriched himself so much.)
Alongside, he worked for about a year in 1993 for the US State Department’s SPAN magazine, a nearly five-decade-old art and culture monthly magazine promoting US-India relations. It gave him an excellent opportunity to learn about things American, plus the pleasure of playing tennis in the lavish American embassy compound in the heart of New Delhi.
In !995 he joined WWF-India as a full-time media and environment education consultant and worked there for five years travelling a great deal, including to Husum in Germany as a part of the international team to formulate WWF’s Eco-tourism policy.
He taught journalism to honors students in a college affiliated to the University of Delhi, as also at the prestigious Indian Institute of Mass Communication where he lectured on “Development Journalism” to mid-career journalists/Information officers from the SAARC, African, East European and Latin American countries, for eight years.
In 2004 the BBC World Service Trust (BBC WST) selected him as a Trainer/Mentor for India under a European Union project. In 2008/09 He completed another European Union-funded project for the BBC WST related to Disaster Management and media coverage in two eastern States in India — West Bengal and Orissa.
Last year, he spent a couple of months in Australia and enjoyed trekking, and also taught for a while at the University of South Australia.
Recently, he was appointed as a Member of the Board of Studies at Chitkara University in Chandigarh, a beautiful city in North India designed by the famous Swiss/French architect Le Corbusier. He also teaches undergraduate and postgraduate students there.
He loves trekking, especially in the hills, and never misses an opportunity to play a game of tennis. The Western and Indian classical music are always within his reach for instant relaxation.
And last, but not least, is his firm belief in the power of the positive thought to heal oneself and others.