Page 8 - ICWA Newsletter English April-June 2021

INDIAN COUNCIL SAPRU HOUSE
OF WORLD AFFAIRS

ICWA Archives: A First Step

Of all national assets, archives are the most precious, they are the

gifts of one generation to another, and the extent of our care of them

marks the extent of our civilisation.”

– Canadian Dominion Archivist Sir Arthur Doughty

The Vice President of India and President of the ICWA Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu in his foreword to the recently
published book Sapru House: A Story of Institution Building in World Affairs by Dr. T.C.A Raghavan, DG, ICWA
and Dr. Vivek Mishra, RF, ICWA wrote, “I am especially delighted that in the process of writing this history, a
considerable amount of historical and archival record has been accumulated and that an ‘ICWA Archives Unit’
is being established for its proper preservation and maintenance.”
In its nearly 78 years of existence, ICWA has produced a large corpus of records, many of which are of enduring
value, reflecting not only the foreign policy aspect but also the socio, economic, political and cultural dynamics
of India’s recent past. These records which were lying scattered are now being consolidated at one place. To
carry forward the vision of the Director General, ICWA, the work towards setting up of an ICWA Archive began
in February 2021 and Dr. Tassadaque Hussain, formerly Deputy Director of the National Archives of India was
entrusted with this project with the assistance of a team of interns. A decision has also been taken to deploy a
Senior Research Fellow especially for ICWA Archives.
The records of the ICWA are of different categories such as files, registers, reports, folders, ledgers, extracts,
photographs, press clippings etc. Since many of them did not have appropriate references, a systematic and
proper documentation- cataloguing/listing has been initiated. Besides, the records, particularly the old
registers like the proceedings and Minutes of Executive Committee, Research Board, Finance Committee,
Annual General Meetings etc., dating back to the Council’s inception, deserved much attention for special
repair and lamination for scientific preservation has been taken up. These records shed light on the institutional
evolution of the Council from the 1940s onwards, on the different trajectories of its research over time and
the reasons for this as equally on the role of scholars and analysts outside the government in formulating and
critiquing foreign policy formulation by the state. These records are especially valuable for scholars interested
in researching the deep history of IR study in India.

Besides its own official records, ICWA has also acquired copies of private papers of luminaries associated with
ICWA’s history such as H.N. Kunzru, K.M. Panikkar from other organisations such as the Nehru Memorial
Museum and Library, National Archives etc. In future, efforts will be made to acquire more such records
relating to the Council, which might be in the custody of individuals and institutions. Once consolidated and
documented, this will not only enrich the ICWA Archives, but also facilitate scholars to consult for research
purpose. Over time the ICWA archive may in turn itself become a depository of private papers of key individuals
associated with foreign and diplomatic policy in India.
The ICWA aims at creating a vibrant Archive, which would preserve and showcase the rich legacy of the
institution, recognized as India’s oldest foreign policy think tank.
If you are interested in working as an intern and contribute to the consolidation of the ICWA Archives, please
contact: Director (Research) Ms Nivedita Ray at directorresearch@icwa.in. A modest remuneration can be
provided to the selected candidates.

ISSUE : 25 | APRIL-JUNE 2021 8