Nehru Archive Will Act As ‘Kavach’ Against ‘Distorians’ Led By ‘Supposed MA In Entire Political Science’: Jairam Ramesh

New Delhi: Congress leader Jairam Ramesh marked Jawaharlal Nehru’s birth anniversary with a sharp message aimed indirectly at Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He said that people trying to damage Nehru’s reputation would be countered by a large digital collection of his writings and records, which he described as a protective shield for the former Prime Minister’s legacy.
Writing on X, Ramesh referred to critics as “distorians” and made an apparent reference to the controversy over Modi’s educational qualification. He said: “The distorians led by the supposed MA in Entire Political Science himself will do what they have been doing to defame and denigrate Nehru. But this digital archive will be a kavach that will preserve, protect, promote and propagate his monumental legacy.”
Ramesh did not name Modi directly. However, the phrase “supposed MA in Entire Political Science” was understood as a reference to the Prime Minister and the long-running debate over his degree. His point was that Nehru’s own speeches, letters, and documents should be available to everyone so that people can judge his life and work from the original record.
One Year Online
Ramesh was speaking on the first anniversary of the Nehru Archive, a project of the Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Fund. He said the website had received more than one million unique visitors and over four million page views in its first year.
The archive contains all 100 volumes of the Selected Works of Jawaharlal Nehru, covering the period from 1903 to 1964. It includes around 77,000 pages, more than 34,000 text documents, and over 3,000 images, as reported by The New Indian Express.
Built For Wider Access
The website, nehruarchive.in, works well on mobile phones and lets users search, download, and translate material for free. Ramesh said it had attracted students, scholars, historians, journalists, admirers, sceptics, and critics.
He said the archive was an important primary source for understanding twentieth-century India through Nehru’s life and work. He added that Nehru had played a major role in shaping the country after Independence.
More Material Ahead
Ramesh said the archive would be expanded with more material from India and abroad. Future additions will include letters, photographs, books, films, audio recordings, and cartoons published during Nehru’s lifetime.
He also recalled that the Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Fund’s Deed of Declaration of Trust was signed on December 21, 1964, by then Vice-President Zakir Husain, Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri, and 30 other prominent people. Ramesh also mentioned an appeal made by then President Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan.