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Article: Use of Gandhi image to sell luxury fountain pens sparks public uproar in India
- Article from:
- The Irish Times
- Article date:
- October 6, 2009
CopyrightCopyright 2009 The Irish Times. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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Transformation of 'great soul' into brand ambassador causes
upset, writes RAHUL BEDI in New Delhi
A FIERCE public row has erupted across India over the sale of
limited edition Montblanc fountain pens costing over $25,000
([euro]17,072) engraved with the image of Mahatma Gandhi, the
ascetic Hindu leader who led India's freedom struggle, voluntarily
embracing minimalism and simplicity in all forms.
The controversy follows Germany's iconic pen-maker unveiling the
commemorative fountain pens plated with white gold and rhodium in
Mumbai last week, to mark Gandhi's 140th birth anniversary on
October 2nd.
The decision to turn the Mahatma or "great soul", who shunned
imports, spun his own coarse ...