Who will bid for Dr Rajendra Prasad’s Gold Rolex Watch ?
On November 13th ‘ 2011 , India’s first President , Dr Rajendra Prasad’s gold wristwatch would be on auction by Sotheby’s in Geneva. Estimated price of the 18k pink gold Rolex with India’s Map and the date of 26th January 1950, inscribed on the dial, is between Rs 1 – Rs 2 crore. The wristwatch was presented to him on the first Republic Day in 1950.
Retired professor and grand-daughter of Dr Prasad, Tara Sinha got a call from a British journalist who informed her that Sotheby’s official said neither Dr Prasad’s family nor the Indian Government contacted them yet. She has also learnt, the person giving this watch to Sotheby’s preferred anonymity.
While Tara Sinha remembers, in 1964, a watch of Dr.Prasad had been stolen from Old Sadaquat Ashram(Dr. Prasad’s House) in Patna, she is not sure if this is the same watch.
She has written letters to President Pratibha Patil, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, pleading them to stop the auction and bring the watch back. and has not got any satisfactory response from anywhere, as yet.
All She wants is the watch be given back to India as per the UNESCO charter of 1970, as the watch is a national property.
It might be too late when our rulers respond and India’s Self-Respect be auctioned publicly. What do we commoners expect from our political leaders, when they are least bothered about Nation’s Property, Pride and First President’s belongings ?