Sonia Gandhi Joins Instagram, Offers First Glimpse of Upcoming Book

NEW DELHI, October 22: Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi made her debut on Instagram on Thursday, sharing the first glimpse of her upcoming memoir, Belonging: A Journey of Love, which explores themes of family, identity, duty, personal loss and her search for a sense of belonging.

In her introductory post, the former Congress president expressed gratitude for being able to share the moment with readers and described the book as a deeply personal account of her life.

“Hello everyone, I’m truly grateful to share this moment with you all; the first look of Belonging: A Journey of Love,” Gandhi wrote.

“It is a story of love, duty, loss and finding a place to belong. I look forward to sharing it with you,” she added.

A video accompanying the post shows Gandhi receiving the first copies of the memoir and celebrating the occasion with her daughter, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. Gandhi also draws attention to the numerous photographs included in the book.

The social media debut offers readers an early look at a memoir that is expected to provide personal reflections on her life, family experiences and decades-long association with Indian politics.

HarperCollins to Publish Memoir on November 10

HarperCollins India announced last month that it would publish the memoir in India on November 10, bringing clarity to the book’s domestic publication after a dispute involving the author’s representatives and its earlier prospective publisher, Penguin Random House India (PRHI).

Describing the work as one of the most anticipated political memoirs of recent times, HarperCollins said the book explores love, identity, responsibility and belonging while offering an insider’s perspective on India’s political and social journey.

The announcement followed uncertainty surrounding the manuscript’s publication after Penguin Random House India confirmed that it would not proceed with the project.

The development attracted political attention amid reports of differences between the publisher and the author’s representatives over proposed editorial changes.

Several Congress leaders raised concerns about possible government pressure and freedom of expression. Some alleged that there had been pressure on Penguin India to remove passages concerning Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and China’s occupation of Indian territory during the Modi government’s tenure.

Penguin Random House India, however, told PTI that it had been keen to publish the memoir and described the acquisition as one that had been secured after considerable effort. The publisher said it ultimately decided to withdraw because discussions had reached an impasse over a particular issue.

The publishing house denied that any external pressure had influenced its decision. It declined to disclose the precise nature of the disagreement, citing confidentiality obligations and its agreement with the author.

HarperCollins subsequently took up publication of the memoir, with the November 10 release date providing a confirmed timeline for its Indian edition.

From Childhood in Italy to Life in India

Belonging: A Journey of Love begins with Gandhi’s childhood in the Veneto region of post-war Italy before following her journey to Cambridge, where she met Rajiv Gandhi in 1965.

Rajiv Gandhi, the grandson of India’s first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, later became her husband and eventually served as prime minister from 1984 to 1989.

The memoir recounts their relationship and marriage, alongside Gandhi’s introduction to her mother-in-law, former prime minister Indira Gandhi. It also examines her transition from life in Europe to a new family, society and culture in India.

Her adjustment involved learning Hindi, adopting Indian clothing and becoming familiar with local food and customs. These experiences form part of a broader personal account of adapting to a different country while building a life within one of India’s most prominent political families.

The book’s narrative places individual experiences within the wider historical and political circumstances that shaped the Gandhi family over several decades.

Family Tragedies and Political Turning Points

The memoir also addresses a series of tragedies that profoundly affected the family. These include the death of Sanjay Gandhi in a plane crash in 1980, the assassination of Indira Gandhi in 1984 and the killing of Rajiv Gandhi in 1991.

The deaths of Indira and Rajiv Gandhi marked major turning points in India’s political history as well as in Sonia Gandhi’s personal life.

Following her husband’s assassination, Gandhi gradually became more involved in the Congress organisation, eventually assuming the party presidency in 1998. Her leadership subsequently became central to the party’s efforts to rebuild its political position.

The memoir also revisits the Congress-led alliance’s victory in the 2004 general election, when Sonia Gandhi declined to become prime minister despite the coalition’s electoral success.

She instead remained at the head of the Congress and played a leading role in the United Progressive Alliance (UPA), which governed India for ten years under Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

That period was one of the most consequential phases of her public life, placing her at the centre of coalition politics and national decision-making while she remained outside the prime minister’s office.

The book is expected to provide a personal perspective on these events, connecting political developments with the experiences and decisions that shaped her public role.

A Personal Account of Identity and Belonging

The title reflects the memoir’s central themes of identity, family obligations and the process of finding a place in an unfamiliar environment.

Gandhi’s journey from Italy to India, her marriage into the Nehru-Gandhi family and her eventual emergence as a leading political figure form the broad arc of the narrative.

Her Instagram debut marks a new way of connecting with readers as the publication date approaches. The video and accompanying message introduce the memoir through a personal moment rather than a conventional political statement.

The inclusion of photographs, which Gandhi highlighted in the video, also suggests that visual material will accompany the written account of her life.

With publication scheduled for November 10, the memoir is likely to draw attention from readers interested in the history of the Congress, the Nehru-Gandhi family and the personal experiences behind major political events.

For Gandhi, the book offers an opportunity to present her own account of the experiences that shaped her life, from her early years in Italy and her entry into Indian society to family bereavements and decades of involvement in national politics.