‘Nehru papers, diaries should be made public by govt’

Vadodara: Nehru papers and diaries of Manuben Gandhi and Maniben Patel should be made public by government, historian Rizwan Kadri said. Kadri, who was in the city on Thursday to deliver a lecture on relations between Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel at MS University’s Institute of Leadership and Governance, said if all these papers are made public, citizens will be able to know the intricacy of relationship between the country’s first Prime Minister and his deputy.
“Sardar had contested for presidentship of Congress in 1946, which would have eventually made him the Prime Minister of the country. He even had the support of 12 provincial Congress outfits out of 15, but was not made,” said Kadri. “What transpired in the meeting of senior Congress leaders where Sardar was dropped as nominee and Nehru was made Congress president even when he had not contested can be known only if Nehru papers are checked,” Kadri added. He also said the government should audit all documents that are in its possession in Nehru Memorial Museum and Library. Kadri also said there were details available about the equation between Nehru and Sardar and the role of Mahatma Gandhi in it. tnn