Congress veteran Sonia Gandhi’s memoir Belonging: A Journey of Love will be published by HarperCollins on November 10, the publisher announced on Friday. The book is expected to offer a personal account of her life and political journey, including her childhood in Italy, marriage into the Nehru-Gandhi family and her years in Indian politics.
The memoir has attracted considerable attention even before its publication after Penguin Random House India decided not to proceed with the book. The memoir had earlier been announced for publication by Alfred A. Knopf, Penguin Random House’s US-based imprint.
HarperCollins described Belonging as one of the most anticipated political memoirs and said it would explore themes including love, identity, duty and belonging. The publisher also said the book would provide an insider’s perspective on India’s journey.
Sonia Gandhi is expected to write about several significant moments in her life, including her relationship with former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, his assassination in 1991 and her eventual entry into active politics.
The decision by Penguin Random House India to step away from the publication led to a political controversy. Congress leaders and supporters raised concerns about possible government pressure and freedom of expression.
Former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot alleged that Penguin India had faced pressure to remove sections dealing with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and China’s occupation of Indian territory during the Modi government. He described the alleged pressure as an attack on democracy.
The BJP rejected such allegations and questioned whether the memoir accurately represented events. BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said it would be for the author and publisher to establish whether the work was genuinely a memoir.
Penguin Random House India denied claims of government interference. The publisher said the manuscript had gone through its normal editorial process, during which several issues were discussed with representatives of Sonia Gandhi. According to the publisher, some proposed changes were accepted while the author’s position was retained on other matters.
However, the publisher said an agreement could ultimately not be reached on one particular issue. Sonia Gandhi’s team subsequently informed Penguin India that they did not wish to continue with the publication.
Penguin India said it was bound by confidentiality obligations and would therefore not disclose details of the disagreement.
With HarperCollins now set to publish the memoir, the book is likely to draw significant political and public interest when it reaches readers on November 10.
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