Gandhi memorabilia draw lot of interest from America: Auctioneer and valuer Andrew Stowe, who sold Gandhi's glasses for a record £260,000 in 2020 | EasternEye
Gandhi memorabilia draw lot of interest from America: Auctioneer and valuer Andrew Stowe, who sold Gandhi's glasses for a record £260,000 in 2020
AN AUCTION of Gandhi memorabilia, the biggest of its kind with 70 lots, was held on Saturday (21) by East Bristol Auctions.
By AMIT ROYMay 23, 2022
Auctioneer and valuer Andrew Stowe, who sold a pair of Gandhi’s spectacles for a record £260,000 in 2020, told Eastern Eye that interest among collectors for the Mahatma’s memorabilia, especially in America, remained high.
He said: “Gandhi is one of the most iconic figures of the 20th century. He’s right up there with Winston Churchill, Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles – his actions and who he was made the world what it is today. He changed the world. And his practices are still followed and he is looked up to around the world.”
Among items offered for sale are another couple of pairs of spectacles – Gandhi had several and kept gifting them to friends. One (“c1920 gold plated circular”) has a price estimate of £80,000-£120,000. The pair was given to the Labour MP, Sydney Silverman, a great supporter of Indian independence, in Poona (now Pune) in 1946, who in turn “gifted them to the vendor’s father, an antiques dealer in London”.
An unseen picture of Gandhi
A notable item is a loin cloth, with the word “Bapu” (father) stitched into the fabric (£15,000-£25,000).
“This is a unique piece of history, not only was this worn by Gandhi, but actually made by him too,” commented Stowe. “Gandhi used khadi as a means to cast away Western culture and clothing, and return India to more traditional clothes. This means so much more than just a piece of clothing – it’s a political statement.” Prime Minister Boris Johnson had a go at spinning khadi during his visit to India last month.
Sandals made by the leader
Also on offer are a couple of pairs of wooden sandals, which Indians call kharram, that he had made himself (£15,000-£25,000 each); a garland given to him at the start of the Salt March in 1930 (£6,000-£8,000); a glass desk inkwell (£800-£1,200) used by a man who was a prolific letter writer; one of his previously unseen photographs (£400-£600); and various letters, including some written from prison.
In the catalogue, the vendor has written a revealing note: “In the early half of 1942, my father was serving in India with the Royal Norfolk Regiment. He was ordered to Gowalia Tank in Bombay to apprehend Gandhi and to ‘remove the trapping of office’. After Gandhi had been removed, the effects from his office were disbanded as souvenirs and he took this inkwell that Gandhi had been using on his desk.”
Several of the items come from a British Indian family, descendants of Dr Balvantrai N Kanuga, who merits a mention in Gandhi’s autobiography, The Story of My Experiments with Truth: “Dr Kanuga came and pleaded with me to take medicine. I declined. He offered to give me an injection. I declined that too.”
At some point, Kanuja’s family moved to the UK. There is a letter from the philosopher Bertrand Russell addressed to Mrs B M Kanuja, dated July 23, 1958, and sent to her home in Southfields, London.
So far there has been no protest by the Indian government which often seeks to prevent auctions of items belonging to “the Father of the nation” and demands their return to India.
Stowe said: “Everything in the sale has been in the UK for at least 100 years. We can prove that it was imported properly at the time. There is no legal issue that we are aware of.”
A pair of spectacles
Since he sold the spectacles for £260,000 in 2020, he gets “at least an email a week from somebody that has something somehow related to Gandhi”, revealed Stowe.
Explaining the reason why the items were being offered for sale, Stowe said the vendors “just wanted to kind of pass it on to somebody else that would appreciate it for what it was. They don’t necessarily have any attachment to them other than, of course, they know that it had belonged to a member of their family. But, for want of a better phrase, they’re (the items) sat in a drawer gathering dust.
“Some of them are really fragile and it’s almost like a burden having something so important and so valuable in someone’s care and I think they just want to kind of pass it on to somebody or someone or some place that will look after it and treat it how it should be treated.”
The auction will be online. “We’re finding that we get a lot of interest from America, in particular. It actually seems to be the place where a lot of Gandhi memorabilia tends to go. He’s got quite a big following in America. I don’t think they are particularly interested in the religious aspect. They’re more interested in the historical aspect.”
A khadi loincloth
Interest has come from collectors who are either American or Indians settled in the US. “Every single piece of Gandhi memorabilia that we’ve sold, has, at some point, had involvement from America.”
Ironically, there have been moves by some people in India in recent years to promote Nathuram Godse, the Hindu extremist who assassinated Gandhi on January 30, 1948, because he considered the Mahatma to be too sympathetic towards Muslims.
Stowe said: “The world is a very different place now to how it was back in the ’30s and ’40s, a very different place to how it was 100 years ago. We are offering these for sale as important historical documents. Whether somebody agrees with the message behind them doesn’t really enter into it.”
He went on: “When you have an important historical figure that person will always carry weight. People can choose to believe what they want to believe, whether they know the facts or don’t know the facts. It’s a little bit like following your favourite rock band. Some people will like that music. Some people won’t. I extend that to historical figures as well.”
Stowe describes himself as “an accidental Gandhi enthusiast. Because we sold that previous pair for £260,000, it propelled me into this world. I never planned to be part of this; I never aspired to be in this field of work.
“I love learning about history. I particularly like learning about special and important people. So I’ve had great fun in the last 18 months researching, especially with the translations. I don’t speak Gujarati. I’ve never been to India. I’ve actually barely ever eaten Indian food. But I’ve sat there for days, weeks and months, learning about Indian history, Indian culture. And it’s been the most revealing experience. I’ve learned things I would never have dreamt of learning. The fun part of my job is the learning and the research.”
THE Covid inquiry has started examining how the pandemic affected care services for older and disabled people, with families describing the crisis as one of the worst failures of the pandemic.
Nearly 46,000 care home residents died with Covid in England and Wales between March 2020 and January 2022, with many deaths happening in the first weeks of the outbreak.
Families have waited years for this part of the inquiry, which will look at key decisions including why hospital patients were moved quickly into care homes in March 2020 without being tested for Covid.
Pete Weatherby KC, representing bereaved families, told the inquiry that a top government official had called what happened a "generational slaughter" in care homes.
"We call out the callous way that family members were treated by politicians and policy makers, referring to them as bed blockers and people nearing the end regardless of the virus," he said.
The inquiry heard how care homes were told to take patients from hospitals to free up beds. Between early March and early June 2020, around 25,000 patients were moved to care homes, many without Covid tests.
Government advice on April 2, 2020 said "negative tests are not required" before patients went to care homes. This only changed on April 15, 2020.
A 2022 High Court ruling found this policy was unlawful because it failed to consider the risk to vulnerable care home residents.
Geraldine Treacy's mother Margaret Stewart died in a care home in Northern Ireland. She said: "The home had to accept people from the hospital, who hadn't been tested and subsequently they became very sick."
She described visiting her mother while wearing protective gear: "She couldn't see who I was and she was very, very upset. She was 87 and she was screaming for her mum."
Care workers described being left without proper protective equipment and testing kits early in the pandemic. One worker in Durham said their home lost 25 residents in three weeks.
"Once Covid was in our care home, it spread like wildfire and we could not do anything about it," they said. "At one point, 67 out of 87 residents tested positive."
Staff had to help families say goodbye over video calls. One worker recalled holding a resident's hand up to an iPad screen so his daughter could pretend to hold hands through the screen as he died.
The inquiry will also examine why "do not resuscitate" orders were placed on some elderly residents without their agreement, and policies that stopped families visiting for months.
Maureen Lewis, who manages St Ives Lodge care home in northeast London, lost seven residents to Covid. She remains angry about former health secretary Matt Hancock's claim in May 2020 that the government had "thrown a protective ring around care homes".
"There was no ring of protection for care homes at all," she was quoted as saying. "He needs to take accountability for the decisions he made."
Hancock will give evidence on Wednesday (2). Bereaved families say they want him to "tell the truth" about decisions made during the pandemic.
Jean Adamson, whose father Aldrick died with Covid in April 2020, called the hospital discharge policy "reckless".
"The way that my father and tens of thousands of other care home residents were sacrificed really gets me because I think it smacks of ageism and disability discrimination," Adamson said. The inquiry is expected to last five weeks, with 55 witnesses giving evidence. The final report will not be published until next year.
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Keir Starmer speaks to members of the media during a visit to RAF Valley, on Anglesey in north-west Wales, on June 27, 2025. PAUL CURRIE/Pool via REUTERS
PRIME MINISTER Keir Starmer and Glastonbury organisers said on Sunday (29) they were appalled by on-stage chanting against the Israeli military during a performance at the festival by Punk-rap duo Bob Vylan.
During their show on Saturday (28), the duo chanted "Death, death, to the IDF" in reference to the Israel Defense Forces, the formal name of the Israeli military.
Police said they were considering whether to launch an investigation, but did not name Bob Vylan or Irish rap band Kneecap, who appeared on the same stage and also criticised Israel.
"Video evidence will be assessed by officers to determine whether any offences may have been committed that would require a criminal investigation," Avon and Somerset Police, in western England where the festival is held, said on X late on Saturday.
"There is no excuse for this kind of appalling hate speech," Starmer said in a statement. "I said that Kneecap should not be given a platform and that goes for any other performers making threats or inciting violence."
The festival organisers criticised the chanting by Bob Vylan, which comprises the guitarist-singer with the stage name Bobby Vylan and a drummer known as Bobbie Vylan.
"Their chants very much crossed a line and we are urgently reminding everyone involved in the production of the festival that there is no place at Glastonbury for antisemitism, hate speech or incitement to violence," it said on Sunday.
The Israeli Embassy in Britain condemned the "inflammatory and hateful rhetoric expressed" on stage.
Bob Vylan's band members did not respond to a request for comment.
Starmer also criticised the BBC, which transmits much of the festival live, for showing the performance. "The BBC needs to explain how these scenes came to be broadcast," he said.
The BBC said some of the comments made during Bob Vylan's set were deeply offensive.
"During this live stream on iPlayer, which reflected what was happening on stage, a warning was issued on screen about the very strong and discriminatory language," a spokesperson said.
"We have no plans to make the performance available on demand."
Bob Vylan's show on the festival's West Holts stage took place just before controversial Irish rap trio Kneecap played to a huge crowd, leading chants against Starmer and also taking aim at Israel.
During the show, frontman Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh accused Israel of committing war crimes, saying: "There's no hiding it."
Known by the stage name Mo Chara, he was charged with a terrorism offence last month for allegedly displaying a flag in support of Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah at a concert. He has denied the charge.
Starmer had said it was ""not appropriate" for Kneecap to play at the festival.
A senior member of his government, health secretary Wes Streeting, earlier on Sunday criticised the chants by Bob Vylan but added that he was also appalled by violence committed by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank.
"I'd also say to the Israeli Embassy, get your own house in order in terms of the conduct of your own citizens and the settlers in the West Bank," Streeting told Sky News.
Political commentator Ash Sarkar said it was typical of punk musicians to spark controversy.
"Don't book punk bands if you don't want them to do punk stuff," said Sarkar, a contributing editor to Novara Media, a leftist media organisation.
(Reuters)
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A flooded street near Station Road after heavy rainfall in Hyderabad, Pakistan, on June 27, 2025.
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The highest number of deaths was reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which borders Afghanistan. There, 21 people were killed, including 10 children.
According to the disaster management authority, 14 of those deaths occurred in the Swat Valley. Media reports said a flash flood in the valley swept away families who were on a riverbank.
In Punjab, Pakistan's most populous province bordering India, 13 people have died since Wednesday. Among them were eight children who were killed when walls or roofs collapsed during the heavy rainfall. The remaining adults died in flash floods.
Another eleven deaths linked to the monsoon rains were reported in Sindh and Balochistan provinces.
The national meteorological service has warned that the likelihood of heavy rainfall and potential flash flooding will remain high until at least Saturday.
Last month, severe storms led to the deaths of at least 32 people in Pakistan. The country has experienced several extreme weather events in recent months, including strong hailstorms in the spring.
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The UK is bracing for potentially one of the hottest June days on record
Temperatures may hit 34°C in Greater London and Bedfordshire
Amber alert in place across five regions due to health risks
Wimbledon’s opening day to be hottest on record
Risk of wildfires in London labelled “severe”
Scotland and Northern Ireland remain cooler
Hottest June day in years expected as second UK heatwave peaks
The UK is bracing for potentially one of the hottest June days on record, with temperatures expected to reach 34°C on Monday (30 June). The ongoing heatwave, now in its fourth day, is most intense across the South and East of England, particularly in Greater London and Bedfordshire.
Although there is a small chance of temperatures hitting 35°C, they are unlikely to surpass the all-time June record of 35.6°C set in 1976.
Amber health alerts and travel impact
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has kept an amber heat-health alert in place across London, the East of England, the South East, South West and East Midlands. The alert, in effect since Friday, warns of increased strain on health services and a higher risk of death among vulnerable groups.
Yellow alerts have been issued for the West Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber, where the impact is expected to be less severe.
The high temperatures may cause travel delays, particularly in the areas covered by the amber alert.
Events issue heat guidance
Glastonbury Festival organisers have advised attendees to leave the site before early Monday to avoid the rising heat. Wimbledon is also expected to experience its hottest opening day in the tournament's history.
Night-time temperatures will offer little relief, staying around 20°C into Tuesday in many southern regions.
Wildfire threat in London
The London Fire Brigade has described the wildfire risk as “severe”. Assistant Commissioner Thomas Goodall said the combination of intense heat and low rainfall in recent weeks has created dangerous conditions for fires to spread quickly.
Cooler in Scotland and Northern Ireland
While much of England swelters, Scotland and Northern Ireland are expected to remain relatively cool, with temperatures between 17°C and 22°C and rain moving in later on Monday.
This is the UK’s second official heatwave of the year. A heatwave is defined by the Met Office when specific regional temperature thresholds—between 25°C and 28°C—are met for three consecutive days.
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Air India's Boeing 787-8 aircraft, operating flight AI-171 to London Gatwick, crashed into a medical hostel complex shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad on June 12.
INDIA’s junior civil aviation minister said on Sunday that all possible angles, including sabotage, were being looked into as part of the investigation into the Air India crash.
All but one of the 242 people on board the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner were killed when it crashed in Ahmedabad on June 12. Authorities have identified 19 others who died on the ground. However, a police source told AFP after the crash that the death toll on the ground was 38.
Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol told NDTV that the investigation was examining “all angles”, including sabotage, in response to a specific question about the possibility.
“It has never happened before that both engines have shut off together,” Mohol said in the same interview, referring to speculation about a dual-engine failure.
He said it would be premature to draw conclusions before the final report is released.
A team investigating the crash began extracting and analysing data from the plane’s cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder this week to reconstruct the events leading to the crash.
Air India said the aircraft was “well-maintained” and that the pilots were experienced.
“It (the plane crash) was an unfortunate incident. The AAIB has begun a full investigation into it... It is being probed from all angles, including any possible sabotage. The CCTV footage is being reviewed and all angles are being assessed... several agencies are working on it,” Mohol told NDTV.
Mohol said the extraction and analysis of the data was underway at a new state-of-the-art laboratory in Delhi.