New Delhi, Agency
Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi has unveiled the first look of her forthcoming memoir, Belonging: A Journey of Love, describing it as a story of "love, duty, loss and finding a place to belong". The book, scheduled for release on November 10, is expected to offer readers a personal account of the experiences and relationships that have shaped the life of one of India's most prominent political figures.
Sonia Gandhi shared the first look of the book while launching her Instagram page, expressing gratitude at being able to present the forthcoming publication to readers and followers. "Hello everyone, I'm truly grateful to share this moment with you all; the first look of Belonging: A Journey of Love," she said. "It is a story of love, duty, loss and finding a place to belong. I look forward to sharing it with you," she added.
The announcement has generated anticipation among Congress leaders and readers interested in the personal journey of Sonia Gandhi, whose life has been closely intertwined with the evolution of the Congress and the political history of modern India. Born in Italy, she moved to India after her marriage to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. Following his assassination in 1991, she gradually emerged as a central figure in the Congress, taking over the party's leadership in 1998 and steering it through more than two decades of political upheaval, electoral victories and defeats.
Under her leadership, the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance formed the government at the Centre in 2004 and retained power in 2009, with Manmohan Singh serving as Prime Minister during both terms. Sonia Gandhi remained a key figure in the coalition's functioning and the party's political strategy, even as her public life was marked by intense scrutiny and the personal tragedies associated with the deaths of Rajiv Gandhi and her mother-in-law, former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
Although the announcement has not disclosed the memoir's detailed contents, its title and Sonia Gandhi's description suggest an account that will extend beyond the political arena to explore personal relationships, bereavement, responsibility and the search for a sense of home and belonging. The book could offer readers a perspective on the private experiences behind a public life that has spanned some of the most consequential periods in contemporary Indian politics.
Her daughter and Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra responded to the announcement with an affectionate message on social media, expressing pride in her mother and reflecting on courage, truth and the exercise of power. "When someone with power becomes afraid of the expression of another, he doesn't know it, but he has already lost the very power he is trying to protect," Priyanka Gandhi wrote.
"You stand for what is true and everything beautiful will find its way to you. I am proud of you, always will be," she added, signing off with "mama" and a heart symbol. Her message brought a personal dimension to the announcement, highlighting the bond between mother and daughter. Priyanka Gandhi did not explicitly link her remarks about the fear of expression and standing by the truth to any particular individual or political episode.
Senior Congress leaders also welcomed the forthcoming publication. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh announced the release date in a post on X, describing the work as a long-awaited memoir. "The long-awaited memoir of Smt. Sonia Gandhi, Chairperson of the Congress Parliamentary Party, will be out on Nov 10th," he wrote.
Congress general secretary K C Venugopal also expressed enthusiasm about the book, saying in a separate post on X: "The entire world is eagerly awaiting the launch of Sonia ji's book! We can't wait to read every page!"
The memoir comes at a time when Sonia Gandhi, though no longer responsible for the Congress's day-to-day organisational leadership, continues to wield considerable influence within the party. Her political journey has encompassed the Congress's return to power at the Centre, the challenges of coalition governance, its subsequent electoral reverses and its efforts to rebuild itself as a principal opposition force.
Her personal journey has also been shaped by profound loss and the demands of public responsibility. The assassination of Rajiv Gandhi in 1991 was a defining moment in her life, while her eventual entry into active politics placed her at the centre of a party and a political legacy associated with the Nehru-Gandhi family. The forthcoming memoir's emphasis on love, duty and loss is likely to invite particular interest in how she reflects on the intersection of these personal experiences with her decades in public life.
While Sonia Gandhi's political career has been extensively chronicled, Belonging: A Journey of Love is expected to draw attention for the personal narrative it may add to that record. By framing the book around the search for belonging, she has offered a glimpse of a story that goes beyond elections, governments and party leadership to examine the experiences that have defined her life in India.
With the first look unveiled and November 10 set as the publication date, the memoir is poised to become a significant addition to the literature surrounding Sonia Gandhi and contemporary Indian politics, giving readers an opportunity to encounter her account of her journey in her own words.
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