GANDHI: The Mahatma's eyeglasses & chappals go on auction

Mahatma Gandhi's personal items are up for auction, March 5. From the AP:

The sale of Gandhi's belongings is specially significant because the ascetic leader of India's independence movement didn't have many possessions, Julien Scharer of the Antiquorum Auctioneers in New York said Thursday.

His trademark round eyeglasses, a pair of worn leather sandals, an inexpensive pocket watch and a simple brass bowl and plate will be sold as a single lot on March 5, with an estimated low bid ranging from $20,000 to $30,000.

Inquiries from prospective buyers have been pouring in from around the globe, Scharer said.

Dismay in India:

Former Speaker and Shiv Sena MP Manohar Joshi said the government must explore all means to bring back the items belonging to the father of the nation. "The persons who own these articles should be contacted to see if they are willing to give them to India, perhaps for a price. Otherwise, the government should consider being part of the auction and even contact the US government in this regard," he said. [TOI]

According to The Hindu, there's some precedent for repatriation:

Two years ago, a rare manuscript of Gandhiji was withdrawn from an auction in London after the Indian government intervened and arranged to acquire it.

That article also mentioned the provenance, which I found rather odd:

The officer had taken some photographs of Gandhiji and he gave him his sandals out of gratitude. They were passed down through the officer's family.

How weird is that? Is there anyone else in the history of India who's actually given someone their (heavily) used footwear, as a token of appreciation? My parents would give me serious beatings if I tried that, and they haven't spanked me in years.