With more of Mahatma Gandhi's personal effects, including his will, set to go under the hammer later this month in the UK, writer and Gandhian Giriraj Kishore has demanded that government frame a strict law to prevent auction of such items that are part of India's national heritage.
Kishore, a Padma Shri awardee, alleged that government has failed to take action to preserve such articles which are of cultural and historic importance to the country despite the outrage over a similar auction of Gandhi memorabilia nearly a year back and threatened to launch an agitation.
He said he had written to Congress President Sonia Gandhi in July, 2012 who had assured him of taking up the issue with the Culture ministry to device a policy to stop auction of belongings of Mahatma Gandhi and other historical personalities of India.
"Nine months have passed, but no action has been taken so far," Kishore said, adding he will write to Sonia Gandhi again to remind her of the assurance especially as another auction of Gandhi's belongings is scheduled for May 21 this year in London.
The articles on sale this month include Gandhi's will and power of attorney which he wrote in 1921, a series of important letters, a personal drinking cup and ivory-carved 'Three Wise Monkeys'.
The sale in Ludlow will feature items belonging to the Father of the Nation when he was recovering from illness at Juhu in 1924. Among them is his shawl, made from linen thread he spun himself, bed sheet and a letter, written in 1937, which settles a highly controversial dispute which was taking place within the Indian National Congress.
There are also original portraits�and photographs of Gandhi, some of which have been personally signed by him.
