US collector calls off auction of Gandhi belongings

US collector James Otis has called off the auction of Mahatma Gandhi���s memorabilia after a talk with Indian officials.

Otis���s adviser Professor Lester Kurtz of the George Mason University in Texas said there had been no pressure from the Indian government to call off the auction but the decision was taken after a talk with Indian officials.

The items included a Zenith pocket watch, steel-rimmed spectacles, a pair of sandals and an eating bowl and plate used by Mahatma Gandhi.

The auction by Antiquorum Auctioneers was scheduled to start at 1.30 am Friday (India time). The collection had a reserve price of between $20,000 and $30,000.

Otis had offered to withdraw the articles from sale if India agreed to either spend more on healthcare for the poor or support educational events to promote non-violent resistance.

The letter from Otis came after a meeting with India's Consul General in New York Prabhu Dayal on Wednesday.