In 2008, the then UPA president Sonia Gandhi deputed a representative to take a large chunk of Jawaharlal Nehru’s papers from the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, one of the current members of the organization said, going on record for the first time. Congress MP and Leader of Opposition wrote a letter to Rahul Gandhi seeking help in returning those important documents.
Ahmedabad-based historian Rizwan Qadri said in a letter to Gandhi that these documents relate to Nehru’s correspondence with Edwina Mountbatten, Albert Einstein, Aruna Asaf Ali and Jayaprakash Narayan, among others, and are held by the NMML Society (now the Prime Minister’s Museum and Library, OR). PMML) held a comprehensive discussion in its last Annual General Meeting in February this year.
First reported by The Indian ExpressIt was discussed by the UML society Status of documents in Sonia Gandhi’s custody at its annual general meeting in February, after which it was decided that a legal opinion would be sought. Even though members had raised the issue of missing Nehru papers several times before, according to sources, this was the first time that the minutes of the 2024 general assembly clearly mentioned that the then UPA president removed 51 cartoons from the donated papers.
In his letter to Rahul Gandhi on December 10, 2024, Qadri also referred to the minutes of that general meeting. “PMML has further informed that as per records in March 2008, MV Rajan went to segregate PMML’s private papers and government related papers from Jawaharlal Nehru (SG) papers,” he wrote citing minutes of the general meeting.
“After this separation was completed, all the personal documents, as identified by Rajan and the PMML team working with him, were sent to Sonia Gandhi in 51 carton boxes on 05 May 2008 with the approval of the then Director, PMML. These included letters related to personalities like Jayaprakash Narayan, Padmaja Naidu, Edwina were
Written by Mountbatten, Albert Einstein, Aruna Asaf Ali, Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit, Babu Jagjivan Ram and Govind Ballabh Pant. The Indian Express.
Qadri wrote, ‘As the leader of the opposition, I request you to pay attention to this issue and advocate for the preservation of India’s historical heritage. An email questionnaire sent by The Indian Express to Rahul Gandhi’s office did not elicit any response.
Earlier, in a letter to Sonia Gandhi on September 9, Qadri – among the 29 members of the PML Society led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi – had said that “it is important that these records remain accessible to ensure a wider understanding of our nation’s history”. He requested Sonia Gandhi to return the papers, provide copies or offer digital access. No mention is made of the specific details of the meeting or what the correspondence contained in the 51 cartoons was.
The development took place just a few days after the extension of two months to the current CPN-UML society. The term of the society was expiring on 4th of November. On the same day, through an order, the Ministry of Culture extended the tenure of the PML Executive Council till January 13, 2025.
Seeking Rahul Gandhi’s “assistance in preserving India’s historical documents at PMML”, Qadri’s letter said, “The ‘Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Fund’ generously handed over Jawaharlal Nehru’s private papers to PMML in 1971. These documents provide invaluable insights into a critical period. Indian History In 2008, the then President of ‘United Progressive Alliance’ (UPA) and current ‘Congress Parliamentary Party’ (President) Smt. A collection of these documents was withdrawn from PMML at the request of Sonia Gandhi.
“We would be grateful for your assistance in finding possible solutions,” it said, suggesting it could include “discussing the possible return of withdrawn documents to PMML for proper preservation and access” or “facilitating high-quality manufacturing.” Digital copies or scans of documents, which will allow researchers to access them.”
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