New Delhi, Dec 16 (PTI) A member of the Prime Ministers' Museum and Library Society Monday said he has asked Congress MP Rahul Gandhi to make widely accessible a collection of private papers belonging to former PM Jawaharlal Nehru which were withdrawn from the erstwhile NMML on the request by the then UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi in 2008.

Rizwan Kadri, who teaches history at a local college in Ahmedabad, in September had also written to Congress leader Sonia Gandhi to allow physical or digital access to private papers related to Nehru that are in her possession.

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These papers contain records related to exchanges between Nehru and Jayaprakash Narayan, Edwina Mountbatten and Albert Einstein, among other personalities, he said.

Nehru lived at Teen Murti Bhawan in central Delhi, which after his death became the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML), housing a rich collection of books and rare records.

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The NMML Society, in its special meeting in June 2023, had resolved to change its name to Prime Ministers' Museum and Library (PMML) Society.

In his letter to Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Kadri, 56, has also shared a brief note on the legacy of the erstwhile NMML located at the historic Teen Murti House in the heart of Delhi, and excerpts from the minutes of PMML's Annual General Meeting (AGM) held on February 13, 2024.

"The PMML further informed the AGM that as per records, the private papers of Jawaharlal Nehru, spanning both the pre-Independence and post-Independence periods, were transferred to PMML in several batches starting in 1971.

"This transfer was facilitated by the Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Fund, acting on behalf of Nehru's legal heir, Smt. Indira Gandhi, who apparently remained the owner of these documents until her demise in October 1984," read the minutes quoted in the document attached with the letter.

PTI has seen a copy of the letter dated December 10.

There was no immediate reaction from the Congress on the issue.

The minutes further read that in light of the presentation of the internal note, there were queries from several members about the legal status of private papers in general. It was decided to seek "legal opinion" on issues like ownership, custodianship, copyright, and use of these archival collections, according to the minutes of the AGM.

It has come to light that a significant collection of historical documents, including correspondences with notable figures were "withdrawn from the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML) in 2008, upon the request of Smt Sonia Gandhiji. This collection, comprising 51 cartons, represent a crucial part of India's historical heritage", the minutes read.

Kadri in his letter to Rahul Gandhi said these documents associated with Nehru "provide invaluable insights into a critical period of Indian history".

"In 2008, a collection of these papers were withdrawn from the PMML, on the request of the then chairperson of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) and present Congress Parliamentary Party (chairperson) Smt Sonia Gandhiji," the letter said.

The Ahmedabad-based scholar said, "We understand that these documents may hold personal significance for the 'Nehru family'. However, the PMML believes that making these historical materials, including correspondence with figures like Jayaprakash Narayan ji, Padmaja Naidu ji, Edwina Mountbatten, Albert Einstein, Aruna Asaf Ali ji, Vijaya Laxmi Pandit ji, Babu Jagjivan Ram ji, Govind Ballabh Pant ji, more widely accessible would greatly benefit scholars and researchers."

In his letter, Kadri has suggested collaboration in exploring possible solutions, which could include, "discussing the potential return of the withdrawn documents to the PMML for proper preservation and access" and "facilitating the creation of high-quality digital copies or scans of the documents, which would allow researchers to access them while ensuring the originals remain secure".

"As the Leader of the Opposition, I urge you to take cognisance of this issue and advocate for the preservation of India's historical heritage. We believe that by working together, we can ensure the proper preservation of these important historical documents for the benefit of future generations," he said in his letter. PTI KND

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