'PM Modi, RSS And China': Why Is Sonia Gandhi’s Memoir Facing Publishing Row?

Memoirs by political leaders often offer personal accounts of public events and political life. Sonia Gandhi’s upcoming memoir, Belonging: A Journey of Love, has now sparked a publishing and political row in India ahead of its scheduled global release on November 10.

The row began after reports that Penguin Random House India (PRHI) would not publish the book in India following disagreements over editorial changes. Congress leaders have alleged that the publisher sought changes to passages concerning Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and China’s alleged occupation or intrusion into Indian territory.

PRHI has disputed the suggestion that it decided against publishing the memoir because Gandhi declined editorial changes, saying its discussions with the author were confidential.

With Penguin India out of the Indian publication arrangement, several publishers are reportedly in the fray, with HarperCollins said to be close to finalising an agreement to publish and distribute the book in India.

What Is 'Belonging: A Journey of Love' About?

Earlier, In a statement issued through Knopf, Gandhi said much had been written about her family but few accounts had reached the truth of their motivations, actions and “very human failings”. She described the book as a homage to their humanity and said it offered her perspective on the social and political changes she had witnessed during six decades in India.

Gandhi, who was born in Italy, met Rajiv Gandhi while studying in Cambridge, England. The memoir traces her journey from her childhood in Italy to her life in India as Rajiv Gandhi’s wife and Indira Gandhi’s daughter-in-law.

She writes about the assassination of Indira Gandhi in 1984 and the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi seven years later. Gandhi later entered politics, became the longest-serving president of the Indian National Congress and declined her party’s offer to become Prime Minister.

“Writing about my life did not come easily to me,” Gandhi said in the statement, describing the process as one that required her to revisit experiences she had kept deeply private.

Why Did Penguin Not Publish The Memoir?

As Indian Express reported, Penguin Random House India would not publish Belonging in India. The publisher sought certain “editorial changes and deletions” in a part of the manuscript, which Gandhi reportedly refused.

Hindustan Times, citing a person aware of the matter, reported that the book deal fell through after Gandhi refused to make changes or deletions concerning references to Modi, the RSS and Chinese intrusions.

PRHI initially raised objections to several passages, but the deal eventually broke down over three or four crucial passages that Gandhi reportedly did not agree to remove.

The newspaper reported that Gandhi’s aides said the disputed sections included her recollections and observations about meetings with Modi, references to the India-China relationship and Chinese intrusions into Indian territory.

It also reported that Gandhi compares Modi with other Prime Ministers in the memoir, although the exact contents of her reported references to the RSS remain unclear.

What Have Opposition Leaders Said?

Senior Congress leaders alleged that Penguin India was pressured to remove portions concerning Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the RSS and China.

Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot told The Indian Express that the main areas the publisher wanted edited or removed concerned “China and Modi and the RSS”. However, he said he had neither seen nor read the manuscript and had not spoken to Sonia Gandhi about it.

Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath called the matter one of “extreme concern”, while Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi also criticised PRHI’s statement.

CPI MP P Sandosh Kumar also opposed the reported deletions. Speaking to ANI in Delhi, Kumar said an author had the right to write what they felt in an autobiography and questioned the logic behind deleting portions of the book. He said there were many publishers and expressed hope that another publisher would publish the memoir soon.

What Is Penguin Random House India’s Response?

PRHI said it is not the publisher of Sonia Gandhi’s Belonging in India and rejected reports suggesting that it decided against publishing the memoir because the author refused proposed editorial changes.

In an official statement issued in response to reports about the book, PRHI said such suggestions did not “accurately reflect the circumstances”.

The publisher said fact-checking and providing authors with recommendations were a normal part of the publishing process and formed part of its responsibility as a publisher. PRHI added that it had remained “willing and keen” to publish the book throughout the discussions.

However, the publisher declined to provide further details, citing the confidentiality of its discussions with the author.