In her new memoir, Belonging: A Journey of Love, Sonia Gandhi, the Italian-born wife of former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, offers a deeply personal account of her life and political journey. The narrative takes readers back to October 31, 1984, when Indira Gandhi, India's prime minister and Sonia's mother-in-law, was assassinated by her Sikh bodyguards in retaliation for the Indian army's storming of the Golden Temple. This tragic event marked the beginning of a tumultuous political journey for Sonia, as she found herself at the center of India's political landscape, eventually becoming one of the country's most influential figures. The memoir also delves into Sonia's grief and emotional struggles following Rajiv's assassination in 1991 and her subsequent reluctance to enter politics due to her disillusionment with its machinations. However, as the Congress party faced decline and electoral losses, calls for Sonia to take the helm grew louder, eventually leading her to step into a political arena that she had previously avoided.
In the years following Rajiv's assassination, Sonia found it difficult to cope with public life, often overcome by tears before speeches and struggling with feelings of vengeance towards her husband's killers. Yet, as time passed, Rajiv became a "presence within me rather than a piercing absence," she writes. The memoir also highlights Sonia's fears about the rise of Hindu nationalism in India, a movement that threatened the secular and pluralistic vision she and her family had sought to uphold. As Congress leaders argued that without her, the party could splinter and leave little to resist communal politics, Sonia was faced with the compelling argument that the family name carried an appeal beyond religious, caste, language, and regional boundaries.
The memoir reaches its dramatic political climax after the Congress's 2004 election victory, in which Sonia had led the party's campaign. Seven years later, Sonia grappled with her own doubts about her credentials as an outsider taking on a position held by two formidable figures. However, after private lessons with a Sanskrit scholar and guidance from the Bhagavad Gita, she found the resolve to step into politics and fulfill her duty. The memoir provides a unique insight into Sonia Gandhi's personal life and political journey, offering a nuanced perspective on one of India's most influential political families.