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New Delhi, Nov 21 (IANS) Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday said Jawaharlal Nehru’s writings are not just historical documents but a reflection of India’s evolving consciousness. Gandhi made the remarks after the completion of digitization of 100 volumes of Nehru’s selected works.
He said he was pleased that this heritage was now open, searchable and freely accessible to all, and said the collection would continue to expand.
Rahul Gandhi social media platform
He added, “I’m delighted that this legacy is now open, searchable and free to all. It will continue to expand.”
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge also posted on X, “Facts are facts and will not disappear because of your choice” ~ Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. In an age of deliberate distortion, disinformation and misinformation about Pandit Nehru and his great achievements for India, it is worthwhile to digitize his writings for the sake of truth and posterity.”
He said he was pleased that “The Nehru Archive” is now live, calling it India’s first comprehensive, open-access digital archive of Nehru’s letters, speeches, notes and other writings – all linked to each other and available for easy access.
“I am delighted that ‘The Nehru Archive’ is now live: http://nehruarchive.in. It is India’s first comprehensive, open-access digital collection of Jawaharlal Nehru’s writings – letters, speeches, notes and more, all linked to each other and freely available for easy access.”
According to the Nehru Archive website, it is an ongoing digital library project dedicated to preserving Nehru’s writings, speeches, related documents, visual materials and audio recordings.
100 volumes of Selected Works of Jawaharlal Nehru covering the period 1903 to 1964 have now been uploaded. They are completely searchable and available for free download.
Earlier on November 20, Congress general secretary in-charge of communications, Jairam Ramesh, had highlighted a new digital archival facility launched by the Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Fund to access documents related to the freedom struggle and the early years of independent India.
The Congress leader shared the information on Twitter and said, “Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Fund has recently launched a smartphone-friendly http://nehruarchive.in.”
Ramesh said, “It is an easily searchable and freely downloadable digital collection, initially built around 100 published volumes of the selected works of Jawaharlal Nehru covering the period 1903-1964. It contains over 75,000 pages and over 3,000 images.”
Ramesh wrote, “The collection will continue to expand to include more text, photographs, audio and films. Archives around the world that contain letters written to Nehru are being contacted to expand the collection. It will also include books written by and on Nehru during his lifetime.”
Earlier, JNMF said in a statement, “The website The Nehru Archive is available at nehruarchive.in. The entire set of 100 volumes has been digitized; they can be searched and downloaded freely, and they can be used as easily on mobile as on laptop. Replicas of the original print edition with digital text are also available.”
“This online edition will be very beneficial for those who wish to study any aspect of Indian history from the 1920s to the 1960s, when Nehru was a prominent leader of the independence movement and thereafter the country’s Prime Minister,” JNMF Secretary Professor Madhavan Palat said in the statement.
It contains approximately 35,000 documents and approximately 3,000 images. From Volume 44 onwards, i.e. from September 1958 onwards, his speeches are also available in original Hindi and English translation. The documents include his correspondence, speeches, interviews, administrative notes on files, diary entries and even doodles. However, this is only a beginning, it said.
“Subsequently, new objects will be added in phases. These will be photographs, audios, videos, books of Nehru, books on Nehru and other publications that came out during his lifetime, any other documents available in the public domain, Hindi original copy of his speeches which were not published in the selected works, and other similar objects,” JNMF said.
–IANS
JK/DPB