New Delhi, February 23, 2024.
A delegation of the National Archives of India (NAI), New Delhi led by Shri. Arun Singal, Director General of Archives and comprising Dr. Sanjay Garg, Deputy Director, and Ms. Sadaf Fatima, Archivist visited the National Records and Archives Authority (NRAA) of Oman on 21-22 February 2024. The purpose of the visit was to explore the areas of bilateral cooperation in the archival field.
The delegation was shown around various sections and divisions. Exclusive presentations were given to the delegation by the In charges of various divisions of the NRAA, including the Electronic Records and Document Management Systems (EDRMS) Section, Microfilm Department, Private Record Section, Access to Record Department, Electronic Storage, and the Conservation Section. The delegation also visited the Permanent Exhibition of Records, and also the Document Destruction Lab.
In bilateral discussions with Dr. Hamad Mohammed Al-Dhawyani, Chairman, NRAA, Shri Arun Singhal dwelt upon the historical ties between India and Oman and informed the Chairman about the existence of a large number of records pertaining to Oman in the NAI, as well as in other repositories of India. As a gesture of goodwill, Shri Singhal handed over a list of 70 select documents pertaining to Oman that are available in the National Archives of India (NAI). These documents cover a period from 1793 to 1953 and deal with a wide range of subjects. Along with the list, 523 pages of copies of records were also handed over to the Chairman, NRAA, which covered several important subjects, viz.:
- Change of Omani Flag from red to white (1868);
- Succession of Sayyid Faisal bin Turki as ruler of Oman after the death of Sultan Sayyid Turki (1888);
- Official Visit of the Sultan of Muscat and Oman to the Viceroy in India (1937); and
- Treaty of Friendship, Commerce and Navigation between the Republic of India and the Sultan of Muscat and Oman signed on the 15th March 1953 at Muscat. (English, Hindi and Arabic versions).