New Delhi: In what may bring closure to the row over the return of former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s private papers from former Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, the Prime Ministers’ Museum and Library (PMML), which has been seeking their return, has said the institution must act with dignity and will likely not pursue the matter legally if the Gandhis are unwilling to return them.
Sonia had taken the documents from the museum—then called the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library—in 2008 after approval from the museum’s then director. Nehru was the maternal grandfather of Sonia’s late husband Rajiv Gandhi.
Nripendra Misra, Chairman of the Executive Council of the PMML, told ThePrint they had written two letters and sent reminders regarding the papers, but have not received a positive response so far.
“So, we wrote… we have sent two letters. We’ve also got the legal opinion. Legally, we should have strengthened our case, but… till late 2020, documents and manuscripts were received, and we were more or less functioning as custodian (of documents till then),” said Misra.
In 2025, during the PMML’s Annual General Meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, members and officials had pointed out that the historical documents belong in public archives, and should not be treated as personal property.
Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman were also present at the meeting where PM Modi emphasised that the PMML now honours the legacy of all prime ministers and pushed for a nationwide modernisation of museums.
Misra said that acknowledging the PMML’s request, the Gandhis maintained that “our staff is looking into it”. “We’ve sent reminders but not received anything so far,” he added.
When asked whether PMML will take further action, Misra said he believes that may not be possible. “I am of the view that it is not possible. And also perhaps, the institution has to act with certain dignity, and perhaps not follow the matter if they say we won’t give it. I don’t think we will take it to the courts,” he added.
ThePrint had earlier reported how Nehru’s private papers, such as letters, diaries, and notes, offer a glimpse into the thought process and private life of eminent figures in Indian history and the Gandhi family has at least 51 cartons of these documents.
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‘PMML no longer custodian but owner’
Elaborating on the controversy, Misra said the General Council of the PMML had earlier met and decided they must make every effort to restore Nehru’s papers.
“Because that is something on which researchers should do whatever they want to do. And this is a research institution. There are fellows and senior fellows who are working here. So, we wrote (to the Gandhis),” he added.
Misra said the PMML no longer acts as custodian of private documents given to them but as owner, according to its updated policy.
“So, we are taking care of somebody’s paper and if somebody says it will not be opened for 30 years, we follow that. Now, of course, we have said we’re (no longer) custodians, we’ll become owners and at the same time we don’t want to keep papers without research, so anybody who puts the condition, we won’t take the papers,” he told ThePrint, pointing out that the new policy changes are in writing now.
He explained that earlier, when Nehru’s papers were received at the museum, they were accompanied by a letter.
“I’m not making a defence of it on behalf of anybody, but they did write to us that we are giving these papers. (That) the Nehru Memorial will be a custodian, they will keep the papers. They also wrote, in fact, that nobody will see these papers without permission. Then, of course, Mrs Gandhi was there. And after that, the successor,” Misra said.
In 2019, the NMML wrote to the Gandhi family about the return of the papers and was informed that the culture secretary would take a call on the matter.
Misra said the reply the PMML received from the Gandhis/representatives, which he said must have been drafted by legal luminaries, mentions that PMML has asked for Nehru’s papers and that they have asked the relevant people to look into it.
“This is the reply. They have said we have asked for papers. They have said we, our staff, is looking into it. We have sent reminders. We’ve sent reminders but not received anything,” he added.
The issue of return of Nehru’s papers took a political turn in 2024 when the BJP asked Sonia to return his correspondence with a host of personalities to the PMML, pointing out that the historical documents belonged to the country and were not anyone’s personal property.
BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra had at the time cited reports of the PMML’s deliberations on the issue to note that Nehru’s correspondences with Edwina Mountbatten, wife of the last British Viceroy to India, and leaders Jayaprakash Narayan and Jagjivan Ram was in the custody of the erstwhile Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, which had returned them to Sonia Gandhi in 2008.
(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)
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