Sonia Gandhi’s memoir, 'Belonging: A Journey of Love', has been released and is selling well, according to The Hindu BusinessLine. The publication characterizes the work as a personal narrative rather than a political exposé. Readers seeking insights into contemporary politics are advised that the book is essentially a love story. The review emphasizes that the memoir prioritizes intimate family moments over political maneuvering.
The structure of the 500-plus-page book reflects these priorities. The Emergency period is covered in just five pages, while Rajiv Gandhi’s tenure as Prime Minister occupies 94 pages. Sonia’s ascent as the United Progressive Alliance chairperson receives 69 pages. The last 12 years of the BJP and Narendra Modi’s leadership are discussed in only 35 pages. The Hindu BusinessLine notes that while the book expresses a liberal distaste for the BJP-RSS political brand, the censure is not visceral. Gandhi writes that she understands Mr. Modi’s discomfort with the ruling elite, noting his origins in an underprivileged world within the RSS.
The first 200 pages are dedicated to her arrival in India as a 21-year-old from Italy and her romance with Rajiv Gandhi. The narrative describes their first meeting in Turin, where she felt a sudden connection, comparing it to a bolt of lightning. The book details her early interactions with Indira Gandhi, including a moment where Mrs. Gandhi stitched Sonia’s dress. The Hindu BusinessLine quotes the book, stating that "She is painted as an isolated leader cornered by calls of mutiny" regarding Indira Gandhi’s actions during the Emergency. Gandhi’s loyalty to the family is a central theme, extending even to Sanjay Gandhi, whom she describes as courageous despite his faults.
The memoir also addresses the assassinations of Indira and Rajiv Gandhi, framing them as stories of personal loss and trauma. Gandhi attributes Rajiv’s inadequate security to V. P. Singh and criticizes the probe led by P. V. Narasimha Rao. However, The Hindu BusinessLine highlights several factual errors in the text. Gandhi conflates former presidents R. Venkataraman and K. R. Narayanan with author R. K. Narayan regarding Nelson Mandela’s inauguration. She also incorrectly names Deng Xiaoping as China’s president during Rajiv Gandhi’s 1988 visit, dates Ahmed Patel’s death to 2022 instead of 2020, and states the RSS was founded in 1921 rather than 1925. The review concludes that the book badly needed a fact-checker to correct these historical inaccuracies.