PMML society to legally contest Sonia Gandhi’s claim to Nehru’s papers: What are Private Papers of public figures?

Members of the Prime Ministers Museum and Library (PMML) Society, during the annual general meeting (AGM), have decided to legally pursue the matter of Congress leader Sonia Gandhi taking away boxes of papers from Jawaharlal Nehru’s private collection in 2008.

Sonia Gandhi had reclaimed 51 cartons of donated Nehru Papers when the UPA was in power and she was chairperson of what was at the time known as the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML) Society. The papers included letters to Edwina Mountbatten, Albert Einstein, Jayaprakash Narayan, Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit, Babu Jagjivan Ram, among others. She had also barred access to several set of these papers.

The museum administration is planning to take the legal route to bring the papers back, so that they can aid in future research.

Sources told The Indian Express that a broad consensus had emerged in Monday’s (June 23) AGM chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi that Nehru’s papers were a “national treasure and should be handed back to the museum as its rightful place to preserve his legacy”.

What is the issue?

The issue of Nehru's private papers was discussed at length during the previous AGM held in February 2024 when a view to seek legal opinion on the matter was agreed to. The issue came up for discussion again during the meeting Monday.

Following the legal opinion sought after the last AGM, the PMML administration wrote to Sonia Gandhi's office earlier this year and sought the return of the papers for scholars and historians, marking the first time that the museum administration put on record Sonia Gandhi taking away part of the papers from the Nehru collection, which they had donated to the museum decades ago.

The IE report cited sources as saying that the legal pursuit of the matter was discussed at the meeting since no response was received from Gandhi's office. The members contended that papers once donated or gifted cannot be taken back, and hence remain the organisation’s property and should be handed back to its custody.

Last year, the PMML had also decided that it would not permit future donors of Private Papers of eminent personalities to impose indefinite conditions on the declassification of such material.

What is PMML?

Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first prime minister, 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.

The NMML Society was renamed two years ago to the Prime Ministers Museum and Library (PMML) Society with effect from August 2023.

What are Private Papers of public figures?

Private Papers refer to personal collections of eminent personalities like Nehru, Gandhi, and others, including their correspondence, diaries, and other personal documents. These papers are usually owned by the family or private donors and not by the government. Institutions like the Prime Ministers’ Museum and Library (PMML) acquire these papers through donations or purchases.

Papers of Jawaharlal Nehru were the first set of Private Papers obtained by NMML. These papers, relating to both the pre-Independence and post-Independence periods, were transferred to NMML in several batches from 1971 onward. The transfer was initiated by the Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Fund (JNMF) on behalf of Nehru’s legal heir, Indira Gandhi, who apparently remained the owner of these documents until her death in October 1984.

Later, a substantial collection of Nehru’s Papers from the post-1946 period were handed over to NMML by Sonia Gandhi.

Largest collection of Private Papers

The PMML has the largest collection of Private Papers in the country. The collection holds papers of several prominent personalities, including Mahatma Gandhi, B R Ambedkar, Rajkumari Amrit Kaur, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Bhikaji Cama, Chaudhary Charan Singh, and many others.

Among its recent acquisitions are papers of former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Shanta Kumar, which include letters written by him to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on One Nation, One Election, the abrogation of Article 370, and Indo-Pak relations, according to the PMML, as reported by The Indian Express.

The library also houses papers of the legendary environmental activist Sundarlal Bahuguna and Hindi writer and author Yashpal, comprising correspondence pertaining to his revolutionary activities during the freedom struggle.

These collections have been sent to PMML from families, institutions, universities, and other private donors. The papers are invaluable for an accurate appraisal of the lives and times of these personalities, and essential for an understanding of India’s modern history and its landmark moments.

How are Private Papers different from personal papers?

There are essential differences between Private Papers and correspondence that can be deemed personal. For instance, the correspondence of a President or a Prime Minister with other eminent personalities of the time, or with institutions, can be part of that person’s Private Collection by virtue of these papers being owned by the person’s family or other private individuals.

However, correspondence and documents held in personal capacity are excluded from this set.