The Indian National Congress is embarking on an ambitious project to create a comprehensive digital archive. This initiative aims to make a wealth of historical documents, including reports from its sessions dating back to 1885, and analyses of its electoral performance and government policies, accessible to scholars and the public across the globe.
This invaluable digital collection will encompass party manifestos from 1952, All India Congress Committee (AICC) session reports spanning from 1885 to 1993, speeches delivered by various Congress presidents since 1885, and all resolutions adopted by the Congress Working Committee since its inception. Additionally, it will feature the ‘Socialist India’ weekly, which was published from the Congress office at 5, Rajendra Prasad Road, during the crucial period of 1970 to 1977, immediately after the party’s 1969 split.
Many of the precious books and documents for this archive have been meticulously retrieved from storage at 24 Akbar Road, the party headquarters. Highlights include the 1922 report by the ‘Civil Disobedience Enquiry Committee,’ resolutions on the party’s foreign policy from 1947 to 1966, and crucial resolutions concerning “States Reorganisation” passed between 1920 and 1956.
Furthermore, a curated selection of books from the recently inaugurated Dr. Manmohan Singh Research Centre and Library will be digitized. This library, opened on Friday by Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi, alongside Dr. Singh’s wife Gursharan Kaur, party president Mallikarjun Kharge, and former party chief Rahul Gandhi, boasts a collection of approximately 1,200 significant works. These include writings by towering figures such as Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Patel, Vithalbhai Patel, Rammanohar Lohia, Acharya Narendra Dev, G.B. Pant, N.V. Gadgil, Motilal Nehru, and B.R. Ambedkar.
Congress General Secretary (Communications), Jairam Ramesh, a key driver of this initiative and a significant donor of books, emphasized the project’s importance. He stated, “While a digital or physical library doesn’t replace political activism, it undoubtedly serves as a vital tool to inform and bolster our efforts.” Ramesh also highlighted the current political landscape, remarking, “The ideological debate is increasingly polarized between the Left and the Right, and it’s imperative for us to reclaim the central ground.”
Among its extensive holdings, the library proudly features multiple volumes of ‘The Encyclopaedia of the Indian National Congress.’ This monumental work meticulously compiles the party’s history, along with insightful commentaries, speeches, and the minutes from crucial Working Committee meetings. The comprehensive encyclopedia was painstakingly assembled by Abdul Moin Zaidi, a librarian at the Congress office, and his wife, Shahida Gufran Zaidi.