Nehru’s writings record of India’s evolving conscience, not just history: Rahul Gandhi

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday described the writings of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru as far more than historical documents — calling them a reflection of India’s evolving conscience. Rahul Gandhi’s remarks came following the completion of the digitisation of 100 volumes of Nehru’s Selected Works, now freely accessible to the public.

“Nehru’s writings are not just history; they are a record of India’s evolving conscience. For anyone seeking to understand our nation’s democratic journey — its courage, its doubts, its dreams — his words remain a powerful compass,” Rahul Gandhi said in a post on X. “I’m glad this legacy is now open, searchable, and free for all. It will keep getting expanded.”

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge echoed the sentiment, recalling Nehru’s own words: “Facts are facts and will not disappear on account of your likes.” Kharge emphasised that in an era of deliberate distortion and misinformation about Nehru’s life and achievements, digitising his writings was crucial for preserving historical truth for posterity.

The digital platform, The Nehru Archive (nehruarchive.in), is India’s first open-access, comprehensive archive of Nehru’s letters, speeches, notes, administrative files, and other writings, all interconnected and fully searchable. The archive initially features the 100 volumes of the Selected Works of Jawaharlal Nehru, covering the period from 1903 to 1964. With over 75,000 pages and 3,000 illustrations, the platform allows users to freely search, download, and explore Nehru’s writings from smartphones or laptops alike.

According to Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh, the archive is only the beginning. “The platform will continue to expand, incorporating photographs, audio recordings, video material, books by Nehru, books on Nehru from his lifetime, and additional public-domain documents,” he said. “Archives across the world containing correspondence to and from Nehru are being contacted to enrich this resource further.”

The Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Fund (JNMF) said the archive is designed to benefit anyone studying Indian history from the 1920s to the 1960s, encompassing the independence movement and the formative years of the Republic.

Some 35,000 documents and 3,000 illustrations are currently available, and from Volume 44 onward (September 1958), Nehru’s speeches are available in both the original Hindi and English translation. The documents include correspondence, interviews, administrative notes, diary entries, and even sketches and doodles.

Professor Madhavan Palat, secretary of JNMF, highlighted that the archive also retains facsimiles of the original print volumes alongside the digital text, offering a seamless bridge between historical authenticity and modern accessibility.

Rahul Gandhi, Kharge, and Ramesh all underscored the significance of making Nehru’s thoughts freely available in the digital era, presenting a rich resource for students, researchers, historians, and citizens interested in tracing India’s journey through the eyes of one of its foremost leaders.

The Nehru Archive marks a major step in preserving the intellectual legacy of India’s first Prime Minister and ensures that the words of Jawaharlal Nehru continue to inspire and inform generations to come.

With IANS inputs