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Centre asks Sonia Gandhi to return Nehru’s private papers, calling them national heritage, not missing or private property. Why did these 51 cartons leave PMML in 2008, and what’s at stake for India’s historical archives?
Centre asks Sonia Gandhi to return Nehru papers
New Delhi: The Union government on Wednesday clarified that the private papers of former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru are not “missing” from the Prime Ministers Museum and Library (PMML). The Ministry of Culture stated that the whereabouts of the documents are known, as they are currently in the possession of former Congress president Sonia Gandhi.
The clarification came a day after the Congress demanded an apology from the Centre, following a government reply in Parliament asserting that no documents related to Nehru were missing from the PMML.
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The issue traces back to 2008, when Sonia Gandhi requested to take back all private family letters and notes of Jawaharlal Nehru. In response, the PMML sent 51 cartons of Nehru papers to her.
On JN papers:
Vide letter dated 29.04.2008 Shri M V Rajan, representative of Smt. Sonia Gandhi, requested that Smt. Gandhi wishes to take back all of the private family letters and notes of former PM Jawahar Lal Nehru. (1/4) @gssjodhpur
— Ministry of Culture (@MinOfCultureGoI) December 17, 2025
The Ministry of Culture explained that the transfer was formally documented. “Vide letter dated April 29, 2008, M V Rajan, representative of Smt. Sonia Gandhi, requested that Smt. Gandhi wishes to take back all private family letters and notes of former PM Jawaharlal Nehru. Accordingly, 51 cartons of Nehru Papers were sent to Smt. Sonia Gandhi in 2008,” the ministry said.
The ministry highlighted that the PMML has maintained continuous correspondence with Sonia Gandhi’s office, requesting the return of these papers. Letters were sent on January 28, 2025, and July 3, 2025, emphasizing that these documents form an integral part of India’s national heritage and should be accessible for research and scholarly work.
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The Culture Ministry stressed that the Nehru papers cannot be considered private property or “missing” since their location is known. “These documents, relating to the first Prime Minister of India, form part of the nation’s documentary heritage and not a private property. Their custody with PMML and access to citizens and scholars for research is vital,” the ministry added.
By seeking the return of the Nehru papers, the government underlined the importance of preserving and making national heritage accessible. The PMML continues to assert that scholars, researchers, and citizens must be able to access these historical documents to ensure transparency, research opportunities, and protection of India’s documentary legacy.
The clarification by the Centre aims to resolve political disputes over the custody of the papers while reinforcing their significance as part of the nation’s historical record.
