How Bhagat Singh Archives and Resource Centre was set up in Delhi Archives
Original proposal to set up Bhagat Singh Archives was to be a part of Bhagat Singh Chair in Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, for which I with support from many eminent scholars had campaigned during Bhagat Singh birth centenary in 2006-7. I was President of JNU Teachers Association (JNUTA) at that time. Govt. of India led by Manmohan Singh, had set up national committees to commemorate two anniversaries of Bhagat Singh-Bhagat Singh 75th Martyrdom anniversary in 2006 and Bhagat Singh centenary birth anniversary in 2007, along with few other anniversaries like 60 years of independence, 150 years of first war of independence and Tilak anniversary. Proposals from the Universities were invited and I was only one from JNU faculty to send proposal of Bhagat Singh Chair, which was accepted by the ministry and Chair was allotted to JNU, which further allotted it to Centre for Historical Studies (CHS) with my consent in 2008. Bhagat Singh Archives with collection of records of freedom struggle from 1757 Plassey war against East India Company to independence in 1947 was to be part of this archives. I had personal collection of about two thousand books, many archival documents from British Library London, National Archives of India and few state archives, original letters of revolutionaries etc. which I was willing to part with for setting up this archive as part of Bhagat Singh Chair. This was first historic chair in the name of Bhagat Singh and till now the only one in the country! Irony is that this chair has never been filled since last 14 years, and only very few lectures have been held on behalf of the chair. At the time of my retirement in 2012 end, I tried my best to gift my collection for setting up Bhagat Singh Archives in JNU. While then Vice Chancellor Prof. S K Sopory was supportive and three eminent historians- Prof. Romila Thapar, Prof. J S Grewal and late Prof. Sabyasachi Bhattacharya sent their recommendations to JNU for setting up this archives based on my collection. Ironically my own progressive colleagues in JNU did not cooperate and asked me to donate the collection to PC Joshi Archives, which was set up in 1973, for which not only JNU paid more than three lakh rupees, to buy the books and other material, PC Joshi himself was made whole time Director with salary and campus accommodation. My conditions were simple, no paid or administrative position, no price for collection, but lifelong association and an office in Honorary advisory position. Neither JNU library agreed to spare one room, where PC Joshi archives was and is located, nor any CHS or School of Social Sciences agreed to spare a room, though many of Deans were from progressive background. I refused to donate my collection to PC Joshi archives as in my view Bhagat Singh was a more important name than PC Joshi in Indian political history. New administration of JNU after 1916 took the PC Joshi archives out of CHS control and merged it in JNU Library.
After I failed to get a positive response from my alma mater and workplace JNU, I looked outside JNU, but in Delhi itself, as I wished that scholars from India and abroad can have better access to these sources for research and study in Delhi, than in any other place in India. That time I planned to meet Manish Sisodia, Deputy CM Delhi along with Abhitej Singh Sandhu, grandnephew of Bhagat Singh. Unfortunately, Abhitej, a young activist of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), who was close to AAP leadership died in a tragic accident in Himachal Pradesh. Then Atishi Marlena, who is daughter of historian couple and left scholar activists-Dr. Vijay Singh and Dr. Tripta Wahi, offered to help setting up Bhagat Singh Archives in Delhi Govt.’s Delhi Archives complex, which is very close to JNU and which I had visited and found academically suitable for this purpose, as research scholars from JNU and other Delhi Universities would have been able to consult and use the archives. So, after a meeting with Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia along with Atishi Marlena and Abhinandita Mathur, cultural advisor to Delhi Govt then, the plan to set up Bhagat Singh archives was approved and a legal contract was signed which was to have access to archives for general public and scholars and I was to act as Honorary advisor of the archives for life time with office support. An advisory board at my suggestion was set up which included eminent historians from different Universities like senior Prof Irfan Habib from AMU, Aligarh, Prof. Salil Mishra from Ambedkar University, Prof. S Irfan Habib, Prof. Amar Farooqui and few others along with a nephew of Bhagat Singh- Abhey Singh Sandhu, who was close to AAP was taken in the advisory board. This archive was inaugurated by Gopal Roy, Delhi minister on 23rd March 2018 with a two-day national seminar on Bhagat Singh, in which eminent scholars from all India participated and even Prof. Romila Thapar graced the audience for some time. Bhagat Singh archives was supposed to hold minimum two functions in a year on Birth and death anniversaries of Bhagat Singh on 28th September and 23rd March. It was supposed to add many more books and other material. The meeting of the advisory panel was to be held frequently to chalk out new programs. Due to Covid 19 disruption, Bhagat Singh archives has not been able to hold any program after 2019, nor any separate budget is allotted to it. Delhi Archives staff share the workload of Bhagat Singh archives. Only one advisory panel has been held so far in four years. One of advisory committee member Abhey Sandhu fell victim to Covid19, advisory committee has not even met to condole his passing away and add another member/s from Bhagat Singh’s family to advisory committee. I hope on this 23rd March, at the time of completion of four years of Bhagat Singh Archives, a lecture or seminar shall be held. Bhagat Singh Museum and memorial in Khatkar Kalan was also inaugurated after renovation on the same day 23rd March 2018. With Delhi Govt allocating ten crore rupees budget to activities relating to Bhagat Singh in a year, Bhagat Singh archives and resource Centre hopes to get some regular budget and minimum regular staff, to continue and expand its scope and activities for spreading Bhagat Singh’s ideas and authentic historic knowledge for public and scholars.
