Congress leader Sonia Gandhi has described the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in India as a “tragic and shameful” chapter in the country's history in her recently published book.
Congress leader Sonia Gandhi has described the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in India as a “tragic and shameful” chapter in the country's history in her recently published book. Meanwhile, India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has accused her of attempting to cover up the Congress party's historical mistakes in her new publication. According to the Reuters news agency, Sonia Gandhi's memoir, titled Belonging, was published on November 10. Its release has triggered a fresh political controversy between the BJP and the Congress party, coming at a time when elections in several key Indian states are approaching. The book has also become a subject of debate on social media, with both supportive and critical reactions reflecting India's political divisions. Newspapers have also given the publication extensive coverage, publishing several excerpts dealing with major events of the past five decades.
In her book, Sonia Gandhi recounts her journey from her birth in Italy and student years in England to becoming part of the Nehru-Gandhi family. She also writes about meeting her husband, Rajiv Gandhi, who belonged to the prominent political dynasty. Three Indian prime ministers have come from this family. According to Reuters, Sonia Gandhi describes the 1984 riots in her memoir as a “tragic and shameful” chapter. She says that some government officials either ignored the violence or played a role in fuelling it. She has also defended her husband, former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, rejecting allegations that he was involved in the riots. However, Sonia Gandhi has acknowledged the government's failures and the delays in delivering justice to the victims. In her book, Sonia Gandhi writes: “Before the Emergency was imposed, Indira Gandhi felt politically isolated and under pressure. She was never entirely comfortable with the decision, but the political circumstances and tensions at the time compelled her to continue with the Emergency.” According to Reuters, the 21-month Emergency imposed in India in 1975 resulted in the suspension of civil liberties, censorship of newspapers and the imprisonment of opposition leaders. It is regarded as one of the most controversial periods in Indian history.
According to Reuters, BJP spokesperson C.R. Kesavan said in a video statement: “Sonia Gandhi could have titled her memoir Whitewashing instead of Belonging, because the apparent purpose of this book is to present the historical mistakes of the Nehru-Gandhi family in a favourable light and cover up the Congress party's most serious failures.” The BJP spokesperson referred to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, which erupted following the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi's mother-in-law, by her Sikh bodyguards. Approximately 3,000 people were killed in the violence. The BJP spokesperson also accused Sonia Gandhi of attempting to normalise and justify the Emergency imposed by her mother-in-law and former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
Sonia Gandhi has not yet responded to these allegations. However, in the introduction to her book, she describes it as a personal memoir in which politics serves only as a backdrop or framework. Congress leaders have rejected the BJP's accusations, saying that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's party is turning a personal memoir into a political controversy and attempting to politicise its contents. According to Reuters, as of Wednesday, the book was ranked number one on Amazon India's list of best-selling books, despite its price of 1,299 Indian rupees (approximately $14). Sonia Gandhi's book has been published at a time when Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is leading protests against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government over the revision of electoral rolls. The issue has emerged as a major political challenge for the Modi government since it came to power in 2014. Elections are also expected to take place early next year in Uttar Pradesh and the Sikh-majority state of Punjab.
