The archive preserving the story of India after Independence

The Archives of Contemporary India (ACI) at Ashoka University houses a rich collection of private papers from 112 personalities who played significant roles in shaping post-Independence India. This archive complements official historical records by providing a more intimate perspective on the people and experiences that shaped India's destiny.

One of the most remarkable finds was a 1934 letter from Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan to Mahatma Gandhi, requesting a contribution to his book on Indian philosophy. The archive also includes correspondence between Radhakrishnan and Rabindranath Tagore, as well as photographs of him meeting US President John F. Kennedy in 1963. These private papers offer a unique glimpse into the personal lives of key figures in India's history.

The ACI's founder, Deepa Bhatnagar, spent years earning the trust of the Radhakrishnan family. Even when the family was hesitant to part with some of Radhakrishnan's personal belongings, such as photograph albums, Bhatnagar persisted and eventually secured their donation. She made multiple trips to Radhakrishnan's home in Chennai to collect these items, ultimately convincing the family to allow them to be preserved at the ACI.

The Radhakrishnan family's willingness to share their memories, as well as that of other families, highlights the importance of private archives in capturing the full picture of India's history. These private papers reveal the ideas, experiences, relationships, and processes that shaped India's post-independence era, often providing insights that official records cannot.

However, collecting private papers also raises questions about whose voices are most likely to be preserved in an archive. Those who are powerful, educated, or prominent are more likely to leave extensive written records. The ACI's work seeks to address this bias by documenting a wide range of personalities from various fields, including political figures, journalists, academics, writers, environmentalists, filmmakers, and others who made significant contributions to independent India.