Record price for Gandhi letters

A series of signed and autographed letters by Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru sold almost for double the pre-sale estimates at a Sotheby’s auction here on Tuesday.

Three of Gandhi’s autographed letters to Islamic scholar and leading figure in the Khilafat movement, Maulana Abdul Bari, in Urdu with an estimated price of £ 2,500-3,000 sold for £4,750 at the auction of English literature, history, children’s books and illustrations that saw a total sale of £9,04,775.

They refer to HinduMuslim relations, including communal tension in Lucknow and their personal friendship. Writing one letter from prison, Gandhi thanks Bari for gifting cotton for spinning.

To read the full article, click here..
To read the ePaper, visit: http://www.dc-epaper.com

Government vows to bring Gandhi's belongings home

The government said it would do everything required, through the "bidding process or otherwise", to bring back the personal belongings of Mahatma Gandhi to India.

Antiquorum Auctioneers in New York have placed Gandhi's glasses, a pair of worn leather sandals, a pocket watch, and a bowl and plate for sale for a starting bid of $20,000 to $30,000. The auction is on Thursday.

The government was also holding last-minute talks with the auction house. "We have asked our embassy in Washington and the consulate general of India in New York to do everything that is required through the bidding process or otherwise to acquire the Father of the Nation's personal assets for the country," minister of state for external affairs Anand Sharma said.

To read the full article, click here..
To read the ePaper, visit: http://epaper.hindustantimes.com

MultiNational Companies to be part of Third Generation spectrum bids

Foreign companies, waiting in the wings to enter the Indian telecom business, will now have an opportunity to start third generation (3G) mobile services without holding a telecom licence. They have to have 3G experience. Existing Indian operators in the 2G space are also eligible. All of them have to go through an auction in which the floor price has been fixed at Rs 1,940 crore.

To begin with with, five companies will be allowed in the 3G business. Later, the number may go up to 10, depending upon the release of spectrum by the defence forces.

The much-awaited 3G policy will be unveiled on Friday by communications and IT minister A Raja. Along with it, the government will also announce the policy on WiMax and number portability.

To read the full article, click here..
To read the ePaper, visit: http://e.mydigitalfc.com