Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi’s highly anticipated memoir, 'Belonging: A Journey of Love,' has been released globally today. The 544-page book is published by HarperCollins. The publication process faced initial hurdles when the original publisher, Penguin, reportedly requested the removal of certain controversial sections. Sonia Gandhi declined these suggestions, leading to the publisher withdrawing from the project, after which HarperCollins acquired the rights to release the book in India.
The memoir covers various aspects of Gandhi’s life, including her youth in Italy and her meeting with her late husband, former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. A significant portion of the book addresses the political turning point in 2004, when she declined the position of Prime Minister following the UPA coalition's electoral victory, a move that eventually led to the appointment of Manmohan Singh.
In the book, Gandhi describes the internal conflict she faced at the time. She notes that while senior Congress leaders and coalition partners urged her to accept the premiership, her children, Rahul and Priyanka, were firmly opposed to it due to the traumatic assassinations of her mother-in-law, Indira Gandhi, and her husband, Rajiv Gandhi. Gandhi writes that her own conscience was conflicted, stating, "Sonia, be true to yourself. You have always known that you should not accept this position. Let it go."
After deciding to decline the role, she consulted her son, Rahul Gandhi, who supported her decision, telling her, "This is the right decision." Regarding the selection of Manmohan Singh as her successor, Gandhi highlights his experience as Finance Minister during the 1990s, his administrative capabilities, and his integrity as the primary reasons for his appointment. She further reveals that Manmohan Singh was initially hesitant to accept the responsibility but was eventually persuaded to take the office.
