Prime Ministers’ Museum & Library: In letter to Sonia, member seeks access to Nehru papers

A questionnaire emailed to Sonia’s bureau connected the missive did not elicit immoderate response.

As archetypal reported by The Indian Express, the PMML Society had discussed the presumption of the papers successful Sonia’s custody astatine its past yearly wide gathering successful February, pursuing which it was decided that a ineligible sentiment would beryllium sought.

As per PMML records, the papers reclaimed by Sonia see letters exchanged betwixt Nehru and Jayaprakash Narayan, Edwina Mountbatten, Albert Einstein, Aruna Asaf Ali, Vijaya Laxmi Pandit and Babu Jagjivan Ram.

“I americium penning to you arsenic a dedicated subordinate of the Prime Ministers’ Museum and Library Society,” Kadri says successful the letter. “My world travel has profoundly intertwined with the past of the Indian National Congress (1885-1947), and I clasp a profound involvement successful assorted facts and records pertaining to its history, peculiarly successful Gujarat,” helium says, adding that adjacent arsenic “Gandhiji’s writings are meticulously documented… unfortunately, Patel did not support specified broad records anterior to independence.”

Kadri’s PhD thesis successful 1997 focussed connected Mahatma Gandhi, Vallabhbhai Patel and Gujarat’s governmental history. “As a historian, I americium keenly funny successful tracking his (Patel’s) contributions,” helium says successful the letter.

Jawaharlal Nehru and his father, Motilal Nehru, near down important records of their contributions, which were preserved astatine the NMML, notes the letter, adding that their immense contributions to nation-building necessitate thorough technological study, for which entree to the implicit records is essential.

“Upon caller inquiry, I was informed that astir of these records are housed astatine the Prime Ministers’ Museum and Library. It was besides conveyed to maine that immoderate records were taken by your (Sonia Gandhi’s) office, arsenic you were the family’s typical and donor,” Kadri says successful the letter.

“I americium assured that this was done successful bully religion to support these invaluable documents… it is important that these records stay accessible to guarantee broad knowing of our nation’s history… You volition hold that Pandit Nehru deserves unbiased probe of his contributions, escaped from immoderate ‘political influence’, says the letter, seeking “permission to entree these records”.

The missive suggests entree done scanning of the documents. “I suggest to scan these documents with the assistance of 2 of my qualified aides. This would guarantee that the documents are handled with the utmost attraction and efficiency,” it says.

It besides suggests that Sonia could supply copies of the documents to PMML, portion retaining the originals with her. “Provide copies of the scanned documents to PMML, ensuring that they are preserved and accessible for aboriginal research,” says the letter.

Kadri says Sonia could besides instrumentality the documents to PMML for archiving. “Alternatively, PMML tin instrumentality the documents aft scanning, making them disposable for wider nationalist and scholarly access,” helium says, adding that helium is “willing to carnivore the outgo of digitising them, ensuring that the chronology remains undisturbed”.

Seeking Sonia’s practice successful the matter, helium says his “sole intent is to survey Mahatma Gandhi, Nehru and Patel successful a existent technological humanities perspective”.

The Nehru papers were donated aft 1971 by Indira Gandhi and aboriginal by Sonia Gandhi. At the AGM of the PMML successful February, chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, a ample portion of the treatment centred connected Nehru’s backstage papers successful PMML’s collection, of which 51 boxes were taken backmost by Sonia successful May 2008.

The members were informed that an “internal enquiry” revealed that successful March 2008, M V Rajan visited PMML (on behalf of Sonia) to segregate backstage papers and authoritative papers successful the Nehru collection, and each idiosyncratic papers identified by him were sent to Sonia.

The AGM successful February was the archetypal aft the NMML was renamed arsenic PMML.

In caller years, respective members of the PMML Society person pitched for taking backmost the letters exchanged betwixt Nehru and Edwina, and to behaviour a “forensic audit” to guarantee important papers are not missing.