How a love story grew into a deep belonging to India
Sonia Gandhi’s much-awaited Belonging is a personal memoir, with politics providing the background or “a kind of framework,” as she puts it in the book
In an interview to The Hindu, Sonia Gandhi shared insights from her upcoming memoir, "Belonging: A Journey of Love." She stated that during the twelve years under the Bharatiya Janata Party-Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh regime, "great damage has been done to the fabric of our country, our democracy and our institutions." Despite the damage, Gandhi expressed optimism, believing that the people of India would welcome a return to proper governance.
When asked about the decline of the Congress party, Gandhi acknowledged that the party has faced challenges since the BJP came to power, including a lack of a level playing field and restrictions on institutions such as the Election Commission. However, she emphasized that the Congress party is fighting, making progress, and gaining support from like-minded parties.
In her memoir, Gandhi revisits her personal journey from hesitation and conflict to her eventual involvement in politics. She described the bond of love she shared with Rajiv Gandhi as the foundation for her connection to his family and the highest circles of power. Gandhi emphasized that her love for India grew as a result of her relationship with Rajiv and his family, eventually leading her to participate in public life when she felt the country's needs were threatened.
The central figures in Gandhi's story are Rajiv Gandhi and Indira Gandhi, whose courage, empathy, commitment to secularism, and sense of duty inspired her. Gandhi reflected on how these values shaped her life and perspective throughout her journey.
Written by urgent.news from The Hindu's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
