Gandhi memorabilia buyer revealed as Indian businessman

The buyer of Gandhi memorabilia at a recent UK auction has been revealed as a Mumbai publisher

The recent auction of significant Gandhi memorabilia has seen strong press attention and now the Mumbai businessman and politician who bought the items has decided to reveal himself.

Soil stained with the blood of Gandhi

Kamal Morarka, head of India's Samajwadi Janata Party and renowned publisher, bought 29 items in the sale including soil stained with the blood of Mahatma Gandhi. The purchase was conducted through the Kamal Morarka Foundation for the Arts (KMFA), which aims to share the items with the people of India by way of travelling exhibitions. The KMFA has been compiling a collection of artefacts considered important to Indian history for the past 10 years. The foundation set a record for RabindranathTagore artworks in May 2008, when it purchased his Death Scene for $144,500 at Sotheby's. In an exclusive interview with Paul Fraser Collectibles, Richard Westwood-Brookes of Mullock's, the auction house which sold the items, commented: "He [Gandhi] has always been high in value, but now of course we have the emergence of the Indian economy," adding: "For that reason I am sure his memorabilia will continue to soar in value."But it appears Morarka is not interested in their monetary value. On his reasons for purchasing the items, he explained: "The purchase is not a commercial decision but an emotional one; we don't intend to re-sell such objects but to bring them back to India".You can read moreon the Gandhi sale here. Paul Fraser Collectibles continues to bring you the most interesting news stories from the collecting world, see more in our Unique Items section.