RARE GANDHI LETTERS COULD FETCH $1.6 MILLION AT NOVEMBER 14 AUCTION Discovery of Historic Collection of 450 pages of hand-written documents stuns the world, described by experts as "like stumbling across Shakespeare's original draft for King Lear."
A treasure of 450 pages of Mahatma Gandhi's English language, hand-written documents that will be auctioned in London next month. They represent the last 6 months of his life and as you will see below are something quite extraordinary.
The handwritten papers of Mahatma Gandhi -- one of the most universally admired figures of the 20th century -- have surfaced in London after languishing in a Madras cupboard for nearly 50 years. The legendary Indian leader, immortalised by Ben Kingsley in the 1982 film Gandhi, penned his historic writings on the backs of old letters, envelopes and circulars, making no attempt to collate them for posterity. After his assassination in 1948, the scrawled drafts of speeches and letters from Gandhi's turbulent last six months were safely stored away by a secretary.
Now the archive -- never previously seen in the original English in which the documents were written -- is being offered for sale by auctioneers Phillips. In a move that would have met with the approval of the "Great Soul", the former secretary and disciple, one V Kalyanam, will not receive a single penny from the sale of the 70 documents covering 450 pages. Mr. V. Kalyanam, who is in his seventies, is giving the entire proceeds -- which could top 1 million pounds (US$1,540,000) -- to the Saiva Siddhanta Church, a Hindu charitable foundation, to build the Iraivan Temple in Hawaii. The previously unknown archive consists of drafts of important letters, articles for magazines and his "Monday speeches" -- delivered weekly by a disciple on Gandhi's day of silence. In chronicling a pivotal point in the history of modern civilisation, the archive contains many of Gandhi's most famous utterances on Indian independence and his vow "to do or die" in bringing peace to Delhi, as well as letters to leading figures, including Churchill and Mountbatten. It also covers his last fast, the days leading up to his assassination at the hands of Hindu fanatic Nathuram Godse, and the prologue to his last will and testament.
The letters and speeches, complete with crossings-out and alterations, are written in English in a humble notebook as well as on "recycled" paper -- the back of correspondence sent to him from all over the world. Felix Pryor, manuscripts consultant to Phillips, spent a month sifting through the documents, deciphering the handwriting and putting the scripts in chronolgical order and historical context. He said today: "It is difficult to over-emphsise the importance of this archive. It is quite extraordinary that something so central to the 20th century shoud pop up like this in its unadulterated form in the house of one of his disciples. It is the last act of an incredible drama and bears comparison in importance with the Churchill papers.
Liz Merry, head of Phillips book and manuscript department, added: "This is the largest and most significant collection of 20th century manuscripts I have ever handled and is by far and away the most important archive of Gandhi material ever to come on the market." One surprise found in the documents, published in full in a 45- page catalog released on October 23 by Phillips to potential buyers and collectors, may stun the world. As reported in the Telegraph: "In a 10-page letter written to Lord Mountbatten, India's last Viceroy, shortly before independence Gandhi admits that partition was a mistake. "I pointed out the initial mistake of the British being party to splitting India into two," he wrote. "It is not possible to undo the mistake." Writing in what experts have described as a characteristically "country schoolmaster" style that verged on the pedantic, Gandhi added: "But the very admirable doctrine of fair play . . . demands that I do not help the mistaken party to fancy that the mistake was no mistake." Felix Pryor described the collection's discovery as "like stumbling across Shakespeare's original draft for King Lear. "After coming across major speech after major speech, I was rather punch- drunk," he said. In Madras in early January Mr. Kalyanam beamed as he formally gave the extraordinary gift to one of Hinduism's most respected world spiritual leaders, the 71-year-old Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami, saying: "I have only worked for three men in my life. First was Gandhi and then Lord Mountbatten until Britain quit India. Then one great saint who served India's poor. Only now, twenty years later, do I feel I have met a fourth soul deserving of my service. That is Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami. I pray this gift helps thrust his mission forward in some small way for the benefit of all of humanity, and particularly of its Hindus, so in need of upliftment."
When the auction was announced in London by Phillips, Subramuniyaswami was asked about his feeling surrounding this historic event. He beamed broadly and told the journalists gathered at his tropical ashram on a sacred river: "I feel it is appropriate and fitting that Mahatma Gandhi, the Great Indian Soul who loved Hinduism and valued nonviolence, simplicity and spiritual effort above all else, would himself contribute to the Iraivan Temple, which continues to promote those same values to the world. From this remote island in the Pacific Ocean, his dearest principles are being taught and preserved for the next 1,000 years. We are very inspired, and pray others around the globe, in every nation, will be alerted by this example and come forward to help this noble cause for there is much left to be done."
Photos can be downloaded from the following FTP site for republication with the above text: ftp://aloha.net/pub/users/htoday/ 1. Photo caption: Gandhi at his ashram in India. 2. Photo caption: Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami, founder of Saiva Siddhanta Church and Iraivan Temple, with Mahatma Gandhi's former personal secretary, V. Kalyanam, in Madras in January of 1996 when the collection was gifted to the Hawaii temple. 3. the young Mohandas K. Gandhi as a barrister of law in London. 4. Gandhi, pensive in later life. 5. The Mahatma wore unadorned, homespun clothing as a statement of both his ideal of simplicity and his support of India's self-sufficiency. 6. Gandhi distributing fruits following a prayer meeting. 7. Artists depiction of the peaceful crusader, in color Evening Standard, London, UK Monday, 12 October By John Wright For details of the November 14 auction contact: Elizabeth Merry Books and Manuscripts Director Phillips phone: 44-171-468-8351 fax: 44-171-465-0224