Private Letters Removed from NMML in 2008

Recent revelations indicate that the private collection of letters, donated by both Indira Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi, was removed from the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML) on 5th May 2008. This development has sparked questions about the management and custody of historically significant documents.

According to reports, Sonia Gandhi dispatched a representative, identified as M V Rajan, to NMML. Rajan was tasked with separating Nehru's private papers from his official documents. With assistance from other officials, the extensive collection of the former Prime Minister’s personal letters was carefully segregated. These documents, numbering enough to fill 51 cartons, were then transferred from NMML to Sonia Gandhi under Rajan's supervision.

At the time, Sonia Gandhi held the influential position of chairperson of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government. This transfer occurred during her tenure, adding to the political undertones surrounding the issue.

The private papers, which include personal correspondence such as letters to Edwina Mountbatten, have been at the center of retrieval attempts since 2014. However, efforts to bring them back under institutional custody have so far been unsuccessful, leaving a significant gap in the archive of one of India’s most iconic leaders.

The matter took center stage during the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Prime Minister’s Museum & Library (PMML) held this year in April. Prominent leaders, including Rajnath Singh, Dharmendra Pradhan, and Nirmala Sitharaman, participated in the discussions, underscoring the importance of recovering these historically valuable documents.

Letters to Sonia and Rahul Gandhi

In a bid to safeguard India's historical legacy, Rizwan Kadri, a historian and member of the Prime Minister’s Museum & Library (PMML), addressed two letters — one to Sonia Gandhi on 9th December and another to Rahul Gandhi the following day.

Kadri highlighted the immense value of preserving India’s heritage through access to Nehru’s private letters, which offer crucial insights into the nation’s past. In his appeal, he requested either digital access, physical copies, or the complete return of the 51 cartons of Nehru’s papers that were removed.

“These documents provide invaluable insights into a critical period of Indian history…We would be grateful for your collaboration in exploring possible solutions,” Kadri wrote, emphasizing the importance of collaboration to restore this vital part of India’s archival history.

What Do the Letters Contain?

The collection comprises letters exchanged between Jawaharlal Nehru and key figures such as Lady Mountbatten, Govind Ballabh Pant, and Jayaprakash Narayan, according to Kadri. These correspondences not only reflect Nehru's relationships but also serve as a lens into India's political and personal dynamics during a transformative era.

In September 2024, Kadri formally reached out to Sonia Gandhi, reiterating a request for the return of the 51 cartons containing material from approximately eight different sections of the Nehru collections housed at the PMML (formerly the Nehru Memorial). Unfortunately, his appeal reportedly went unanswered.

“In September 2024, I wrote a letter to Sonia Gandhi requesting that the 51 cartons from approximately eight different sections, which were part of the Nehru collections at the Prime Ministers’ Museum (formerly the Nehru Memorial), be either returned to the institution, or we be granted permission to scan them, or provided with their scanned copies. This would allow us to study them and facilitate research by various scholars,” Kadri explained, reiterating his concerns about the academic implications of withholding such documents.

He further noted, “These include important correspondences between Pt Jawaharlal Nehru and Lady Mountbatten, as well as letters exchanged with Pt. Govind Ballabh Pant, Jayaprakash Narayan, and others. These letters are a significant part of Indian history and have been proven through records to have been withdrawn from the museum in 2008 at Sonia Gandhi's direction.”

‘What Would Nehru Have Written to Edwina Mountbatten That Needed Censoring?’

The controversy surrounding the removal of letters from the archives of the Prime Minister’s Museum & Library (PMML) has sparked political uproar, with leaders from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) raising sharp questions about the matter.

BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra wasted no time in addressing the issue publicly. He remarked, “This is intriguing! From what’s today the Prime Minister’s Museum and Library & formerly Nehru Museum and Library, the then UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi took away 51 cartons of letters written by Nehru to various personalities including ‘EDWINA MOUNTBATTEN’!”

The focus on the letters exchanged between Jawaharlal Nehru and Edwina Mountbatten has amplified curiosity and speculation. Referring to the recent developments, Patra added, “In the recently concluded AGM of the PMML, one of the members Sh Rizwan Kadri has written to LoP Rahul Gandhi and sought his help in getting back the letters from his mother Sonia Gandhi! What intrigues me is what would have Nehru ji written to EDWINA MOUNTBATTEN that needed censoring and will LOP Rahul help getting back the letters between Nehru and Edwina!”

The BJP’s remarks have added a political edge to the archival debate, further highlighting the sensitive nature of the correspondence. Despite these pointed questions, the Congress party has yet to issue a statement in response to the allegations.

The controversy has stirred public and political interest alike, with many wondering about the contents of the letters and the implications of their removal from public access. The focus on the relationship between Nehru and Edwina Mountbatten, in particular, has ignited debates over transparency and the preservation of historical archives.

This episode continues to fuel a larger conversation on how historical records should be managed, raising questions about their rightful ownership and accessibility for scholars and the public alike.

Jawaharlal Nehru Letters with Lord, Lady Mountbatten Can Stay Redacted: UK Tribunal Ruling (2022)

In a significant decision in 2022, the UK First-Tier Tribunal (Information Rights) ruled that parts of personal diaries and letters involving Lord Mountbatten, the last Viceroy of India, his wife Lady Edwina Mountbatten, and India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru would remain redacted. These documents, key to understanding a crucial phase of British-Indian history, were at the center of a long-running appeal over their public release.

Presiding over the appeal, Judge Sophie Buckley concluded that the University of Southampton does not “hold” any correspondence titled “letters from Lady Mountbatten to Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of the newly independent India (33 files, 1948-60), along with copies of his letters to her.” Instead, the university serves only as a “physical custodian” of the Broadlands Archive, and the ownership of these letters remains private.

Historian Andrew Lownie, who fought a four-year battle for the release of these papers, expressed frustration over the ruling. He stated, “The Mountbatten collection is important historically but there were also important issues at stake - not least abuse of state power and the censoring of our history.”

Lownie, who has spent over £250,000 from his savings on this legal battle, noted that 30,000 pages of diaries and letters from the Broadlands Archive have already been made public. However, the remaining redactions mean that full transparency may never be achieved. He emphasized that his fight was centered on the principles of censorship and freedom of information, as these documents shed light on British-Indian relations during India’s Partition.

The UK Cabinet Office maintained its stance that most of the information in these papers is already available in the public domain. However, it argued that the withheld portions could “compromise the UK’s relations with other states,” specifically referencing India and Pakistan.

The archive in question was purchased in 2011 by the University of Southampton for £2.8 million of public funds with the intent of making the material widely accessible. However, the university later referred parts of the correspondence to the Cabinet Office for review. In 2019, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) had ruled in favor of Lownie, ordering the release of the full Broadlands Archive. Despite this, some sections remain inaccessible due to the tribunal’s latest decision.

The University of Southampton clarified that the correspondence between Lady Mountbatten and Jawaharlal Nehru remains under private ownership and is deemed “confidential.” While the university has a “future interest” in these letters, it reportedly opted not to apply for their purchase.

The case surrounding the Broadlands Archive saw significant developments in 2019, when the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) ruled for the release of the documents. However, this decision was subsequently appealed, with the matter being heard by the First-Tier Tribunal in November 2021. The tribunal’s ruling has now brought some clarity to the ongoing legal battle.

In the lead-up to the tribunal hearing, the UK Cabinet Office reduced the number of exemptions it sought to impose. As a result, a majority of the letters and diaries were made available by the time of the decision. Despite this progress, historian Andrew Lownie, who spearheaded the campaign for the release of the documents, highlighted the financial challenges faced during the legal battle.

“This is a victory after four years of campaigning, but there is still a legal bill of 50,000 pounds, and so the crowdfunding has to go on,” Lownie stated in his fundraiser appeal on Crowdjustice.com. He has raised over £63,000 through the platform to cover the costs of his campaign.

The diaries of Lord Mountbatten, a prominent royal figure and historical personality, include correspondence within the British royal family. Mountbatten was a great-grandson of Queen Victoria, a cousin of Queen Elizabeth II, and an uncle to the late Duke of Edinburgh. His diaries also reflect his role as the last Viceroy of India, adding immense historical value. However, this royal connection is cited as one of the reasons for continued redactions.

In May 2021, the University of Southampton announced it was publishing “previously unavailable papers” from the Broadlands Archives collection online. It also committed to making more material available over the course of the year. The university claims that a significant portion of the diaries is now accessible to the public.

“The Broadlands Archives collection is one of the University Library's foremost collections of manuscripts... this substantial collection dates from the sixteenth century to the present. The material provides a preeminent resource for British politics in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries,” notes the university, underlining the historical significance of the archive.