PM Memorial urges Rahul Gandhi to return Nehru’s historical letters taken by Sonia Gandhi in 2008

The Prime Minister’s Museum and Library (PMML) Society has written to Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, requesting his intervention in retrieving important historical documents that once belonged to Jawaharlal Nehru. These documents, which include 51 cartoons and letters, were removed from public access in 2008 under the direction of Sonia Gandhi, who was the UPA Chairperson at the time. The documents were originally housed at the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, later rebranded as the Prime Minister’s Museum and Library.

In September 2024, Rizwan Kadri, a member of the PMML Society, sent a letter to Sonia Gandhi asking for the return of these documents or permission to scan them for research purposes. Kadri’s letter emphasized that the collection includes crucial letters and cartoons, some of which were correspondence between Nehru and prominent figures such as Lady Edwina Mountbatten, Pt. Govind Ballabh Pant, and Jayaprakash Narayan. These documents are considered important for understanding Nehru’s personal and professional relationships, as well as his political and diplomatic strategies.

The Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, which was established in 1964 at Nehru's former residence in Teen Murti Bhavan, was initially designed to preserve and display the legacy of India’s first Prime Minister. However, in 2008, access to certain materials, including these letters, was restricted by the government during Sonia Gandhi’s tenure as UPA Chairperson. The specific reasons behind the removal of these documents have not been fully explained, but Kadri and others have argued that the letters hold significant historical value and should be available for public access and scholarly research.

Following no response from Sonia Gandhi to his September letter, Kadri has now reached out to Rahul Gandhi for assistance in restoring the documents. In his letter to the Leader of Opposition, Kadri stressed that these documents are a critical part of India’s national heritage. He further highlighted that without access to these materials, it remains unclear why they were removed in the first place, suggesting that there may be significant historical context or sensitive content within them.

The missing documents have drawn attention from various political figures, particularly BJP MP Sambit Patra, who raised questions about the content of the letters, particularly those between Nehru and Lady Mountbatten. While the exact details of the correspondence are not public, these letters are believed to contain significant insights into Nehru’s relationships with key figures of the time, including British officials and Indian political leaders. Patra has expressed curiosity about why these letters were removed and whether their contents were deemed controversial.

The Prime Minister’s Museum and Library, now an autonomous institution under the Union Ministry of Culture, houses a wide range of materials related to Nehru's life, work, and legacy. The removal of the letters has been a subject of concern for scholars and historians, as these materials are seen as essential for a comprehensive understanding of India’s early years of independence. Restoring these documents to the museum would provide a richer, more complete record of Nehru’s role in shaping India’s political and historical landscape.