London:
A rare collection of 21 prints of Mahatma Gandhi, taken during the Quit India Movement days of 1942, will hit the auction block in London on Tuesday and is expected to fetch nearly 1,500 pounds.
The items at the sale titled "Travel and Photography: India and Beyond" consist of photographs by Mumbai's Jayant R Lalan (11 with photographer's stamp on verso, gelatin silver and negative prints and also two prints of Jawaharlal Nehru.
The photographs of Gandhi, taken on August 7 show him at an informal indoor gathering on historic day when he addressed the opening day of the All India Congress Committee at the Gowalia tank Maidan in Mumbai and launched his call for non-violent protest against British rule. "I stick to the principle of non-violence as I did before. If you are tired of it then you need not come with me.
At the time when I am about to launch the biggest fight in my life there can be no hatred for the British in my heart," Gandhi said.
The next day, Congress overwhelmingly backed the formation of Quit India movement that had the famous slogan of "Do or die". The sale also features an album of early photographs of some ancient cultural sites in Karnataka by celebrated lensman Andrew Neill. These prints are estimated to fetch 4,000-6,000 pounds.