The government has acquired the manuscript of a letter Mahatma Gandhi wrote 19 days before his assassination in 1948, a day after Christie's decided to take it off the auction, but it was not clear whether and how much money was paid for it."The government of India is in possession of the manuscript (of the piece) Mahatma Gandhi had written 19 days before his assassination pleading for tolerance of Muslims in India (for his journal Harijan), a senior High Commission official told PTI today.When asked whether any money was paid for acquiring the document, he said the government negotiated with the auctioneers and representatives of late Albin Schram of Switzerland, who owned it. The conditions of the transaction "have to be kept in confidence," he said.The document, which was withdrawn from this morning's session by auctioneers Christie's after negotiations with the Indian government, was part of an extensive collection and a reserve price of 9,000 to 12,000 pounds was set for it.External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee appeared to indicate that some money could have been paid for acquiring the manuscript. "That is part of negotiation," he told reporters accompanying him on a trip to Ethiopia, when asked how much money was involved.The official profusely thanked Christie's and Amin Jaffer, international director of Asian Art at Christie's, for facilitating the negotiations which have resulted in the important historical record being returned to India.Reports last week that the document would be up for acution triggered immediate reaction in India with several Gandhians urging the government to intervene in the matter immediately.
