Former Congress President Sonia Gandhi’s memoirs, titled Belonging: A Journey of Love, were released in Delhi on Tuesday. According to Scroll, the launch at Bahrisons Booksellers in Khan Market drew crowds of party workers and political observers. The publication notes that media coverage focused heavily on the public display of support, with many attendees appearing more interested in being photographed with the book than reading it. Congress spokespersons urged readers to view the work as a personal truth rather than a political manifesto, a framing that Scroll challenges in its analysis.
The book dedicates the majority of its content to Gandhi’s relationship with her late husband, Rajiv Gandhi, detailing their time as students at Cambridge. Scroll reports that while Gandhi’s own political tenure constitutes less than a fifth of the narrative, the author provides candid assessments of other family members, including descriptions of Indira Gandhi as a domineering figure. The publication highlights Gandhi’s reflections on her experience as an Italian woman navigating the conservative and patriarchal structures of her new family, framing these personal struggles within the broader context of her integration into Indian political life.
Scroll argues that the memoirs cannot be separated from their political context, noting that Gandhi codes historical events according to Congress perspectives. The publication points out that the Emergency is framed as a regrettable period of excess, while other controversial episodes such as Operation Blue Star and the Babri Masjid campaign are presented as actions taken with the best intentions by the Gandhi faction. Scroll describes this pattern as a recurring theme where the family’s actions are justified against a backdrop of political opposition.
The analysis suggests the book’s primary political function is to humanize the Gandhi family and counter the narrative of dynastic rule. Scroll notes that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has benefited from the politicization of the Gandhi surname. The publication cites Gandhi’s assertion that her concern for the poor is equal to his, while also questioning the humility of Modi’s origins. Scroll concludes that the memoirs are inherently political, serving as a direct engagement with opponents who label the Gandhis as a dynasty.