London: Indian government has not yet decided where it will keep Mahatma Gandhi's memorabilia, including some rare letters written by him, which will be received by President Pratibha Patil from members of Indian community here on Thursday during her ongoing 4-day state visit.
When asked about the same, the President told reporters
accompanying her on board her special aircraft that "unhe
sammanpurvak laya jayega...yeh baad mein decide hoga. (These
items will be taken to India with full honour...The decision
on where to keep them will be taken later)."
The President said that receiving these items would be a
"high point" of her visit to the United Kingdom.
Leading NRI entrepreneurs Sir Gulam K Noon and Prof Nat
Puri, who had bought these articles in an auction here in
July, will hand them over to Patil at a function in India
House here tomorrow.
The rare articles comprise three letters written in Urdu
by Gandhi to Maulana Abdul Bari, an Islamic scholar and a
leading figure in the 'Khilafat' movement.
The letters referred to the Hindu-Muslim relations,
including communal tension in Lucknow, and to the personal
friendship of the Mahatma and Maulana.
"His (Gandhi's) vision of a participatory democracy,
overall development especially of rural areas and building an
equitable society, has been guiding the nation. He has a
special place in our hearts and articles associated with him
has a special meaning for every Indian," the President said.
She also said, "We in India, are proud of Sir Ghulam Noon
and Mr Puri who have through their hard work and diligence
achieved commendable success in whatever they have pursued."
Patil, who is the first Indian head of state to visit UK
in last 20 years, said Indian diaspora is a "significant
asset" for the country's international relations.
"The Indian diaspora is a significant asset for India's
relationship with the countries which Indians have chosen to
make their homes," Patil said.
Bureau Report