Sonia Gandhi's memoir, the senior leader of the Indian National Congress and former president of the party, went on sale on Tuesday. The book, titled 'A Sense of Belonging: A Journey of Love', offers a rare glimpse into her private life and how she became the matriarch of one of India's most powerful political families, the Nehru-Gandhi family.
Sonia Gandhi's Life and Education
Sonia Gandhi was born in 1946 in a small Italian village near Vicenza. While studying at the University of Cambridge, she met Rajiv Gandhi, the grandson of former Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, and they married in 1968 in New Delhi. At that time, Rajiv's mother, Indira Gandhi, was serving as Prime Minister of India.
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Almost two decades later, Sonia Gandhi embraced the aftermath of Indira Gandhi's assassination in 1984 and witnessed a painful scene. This incident occurred due to the suppression of a rebellion and a military operation known as 'Operation Blue Star' at the Golden Temple, one of the holiest sites for Sikhs. Rajiv Gandhi, Sonia's husband, later became the youngest Prime Minister of India at the age of 40, but he was also assassinated in a suicide bombing in 1991.
Memories and Political Decisions
After these events, Sonia Gandhi entered the world of politics and served as the longest-serving president of the Congress Party. In her book, she refers to her decision in 2004 not to accept the position of Prime Minister. She writes in one section of her book that her children, Priyanka Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, had discussed the possibility of their mother becoming Prime Minister with her. Sonia told them that she would not accept the position under any circumstances, as they were aware of the repercussions of their family's assassinations and considered the position to carry serious risks.
Sonia Gandhi stated in an interview with The Hindu that this book is not political but a personal narrative of her life and her family's. However, the publication of this book comes at a time when the Congress Party is trying to stand against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). BJP national spokesperson S. R. Kesavan criticized the book, claiming that Sonia should have titled it 'Whitewashing' and criticized it for attempting to soften the historical mistakes of the Nehru-Gandhi family.
The release of this book occurs as Rahul Gandhi is trying to unite India's opposition parties against the BJP and has participated in several protests over the past month.
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