German dealer had asked for royalty for photos Bapu’s grandson has used in his book on the Mahatma.
The irony of the situation we have got ourselves into over the conservation of Gandhi memorabilia is that it is much worse than it may have initially appeared.
DNA’s investigations have revealed that Peter Ruhe, the German trader in films and photos of the Mahatma, had sought royalty even from Gandhi’s own grandson, Rajmohan Gandhi. Ruhe had demanded payment for Bapu’s pictures that his grandson had included in his latest book,
Mohandas: A True Story of a Man, His People and an Empire.
Rajmohan Gandhi, currently based in the United States, is reported to have politely, but firmly, refused to pay any royalty. His 745-page book has used around 39 photos of the Mahatma, most of them acquired from India’s several Gandhian institutions. The pictures are in public domain.
The book was published in October 2007. According to reliable sources, Ruhe had tried to take legal action soon after the release of the book but could not go ahead because Indian laws do not support his case.
Rajmohan Gandhi’s book, a widely acclaimed biography of the Mahatma, was printed in India, the US and the UK. Gujarat Vidyapith’s vice-chancellor Sudarshan Iyengar told DNA that Ruhe had sought royalty even from Narayan Desai for the photos of Gandhi included in Desai’s four-volume life of the Mahatma,
My Life is My Message.
Desai, who is the son of Gandhi’s closest associate Mahadevbhai Desai, had also refused to pay but Ruhe’s threats continued. What is more alarming still is the thought that Narayan Desai and Rajmohan Gandhi could be exceptions. Other publishers may have paid Ruhe royalty just to avoid legal hassles.
Ruhe had told
DNA on Saturday that he charges 40 to 50 euros for a one-time use of an image for a print order of 3,000 copies. A source said that generally a book uses around 10 pictures. “It would be cheaper to pay Ruhe 500 euros than to enter into a legal battle,” the source said. “For international publishers, the question whether or not to encourage Ruhe by giving in to his demands, is not always a moral issue.”
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