Tushar Gandhi's double standards

01 October, 2009

When James Otis sold his personal collection, Gandhi memorabilia he made a hue and cry, but now he accepts Mont Blanc pen worth Rs 14 lakh, Rs 72 lakh for Gandhi foundation, allows the German company to make crores of rupees.

IT SEEMS that Tushar Gandhi, the great grandson of the Mahatma, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, has underwent a change in ideology. His comments regarding James Otis' auction of Gandhi items, including Gandhi's round glasses, earlier this year, hold in stark contrast with his promotion of a limited edition pen, branded with the Mahatma's image.

On March 19, 2009, Tushar Gandhi had described the auction held by Otis as reprehensible. He had said, “An auction is an innovative way of promoting Gandhian thought, isn't it, especially because the rest of us know an auction as a way to make money!” He had also demanded that these items of national importance be handed over to India.

"The Indian government should get the stay order on the auction, issued by the Delhi High Court, vacated because Otis is using the order to reclaim the possessions now that he has realised their potential and to further his own greed. The stay order does not ensure that the items will come back to India," he had claimed then.

However, now he was present at the launch of a limited edition pen by the German writing instrument maker, Mont Blanc, where he had decreed that the Mahatma was the brand ambassador for the product.

The pen was launched in remembrance of the Dandi march where Mahatma Gandhi had walked for 241 miles. To further cash in on the event, only 241 such pens would be sold by the firm at a whooping price of Rs14 lakh each.

Besides there is also the ‘Mahatma Gandhi Limited Edition 3000’ pen available, both as a fountain pen and a roller ball. Three thousand pieces each will be available worldwide for 1.7 lakh and 1.5 lakh respectively, with sterling silver mountings on the cap and the cone. The nib is identical to its elite counterpart, the only difference being that in this pen, the engraved image of Gandhi holding his lathi is in the same colour as the nib.

While launching these expensive pens, Tushar Gandhi said, “Today when we are traumatised by violence, this tribute reaffirms our faith in truth and non-violence. US President Barack Obama should get one of the pens and sign peace treaties across the world. This will bring peace to the world traumatised by not only violence of gun but violence against human beings and the nature too."