Politics
India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has accused opposition leader Sonia Gandhi of covering up the Congress party’s historical mistakes in her book, Belonging: A Journey of Love,
India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has accused opposition leader Sonia Gandhi of covering up the Congress party’s historical mistakes in her book, Belonging: A Journey of Love, opening a new front between the two sides ahead of crucial state elections. Congress leaders have responded by accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s BJP of turning the book into a spectacle and attempting to politicise it. Released on Tuesday under the title Belonging, the memoir traces the journey of the Italian-born Gandhi from her student days in England to meeting her husband, Rajiv, heir to the Nehru-Gandhi family, and becoming part of India’s most powerful political dynasty, which has produced three prime ministers. The 79-year-old Gandhi declined the post of prime minister herself in 2004. However, her family continues to control the Congress party, which has governed India for a total of approximately 55 years since the country gained independence from British colonial rule in 1947.
BJP spokesperson C. R. Kesavan said in a video statement that Sonia Gandhi could have titled her memoir Whitewashing instead of Belonging. He said the book appeared intended to sugar-coat the historical mistakes made by the Nehru-Gandhi family and conceal the major wrongdoings of the Congress party. Kesavan referred to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, which erupted following the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, Sonia’s mother-in-law, by her Sikh bodyguards. Approximately 3,000 people were killed. Human rights activists accuse the Congress party of turning a blind eye to the violence and say that some party leaders helped organize the massacre.
In her book, Sonia describes the riots as “a tragic and shameful chapter”, accusing some officials of turning a blind eye to the violence or even encouraging it. She also defends her husband Rajiv Gandhi against allegations of complicity. However, she acknowledges failures of governance and delays in delivering justice. It is worth recalling that Rajiv Gandhi became prime minister after the assassination of his mother, Indira Gandhi. Kesavan also accused Sonia of attempting to normalise and justify the infamous Emergency imposed by Indira Gandhi. The 21-month Emergency, declared in 1975, involved the suspension of civil liberties, censorship of the press and imprisonment of opposition leaders. It remains one of the most controversial periods in Indian history. Sonia writes that, before imposing the Emergency, Indira was increasingly isolated and politically cornered. She says Indira was never entirely comfortable with the decision but felt compelled to continue it amid political turmoil. Although Sonia has not personally responded to these allegations, she states in the book’s foreword that it is a personal memoir in which politics serves as the background and a kind of framework. A Congress spokesperson did not respond to a Reuters request for comment from Sonia.
The book has been released at a time when the Congress party is leading a campaign against the Modi government over a controversial revision of voter lists, with Sonia’s son, Rahul Gandhi, at the forefront. Street protests have emerged as the government’s most serious political challenge since Modi came to power in 2014. They are taking place ahead of crucial state elections scheduled for early next year in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab, a Sikh-majority state. The book has dominated discussions on social media, with posts praising and criticizing it appearing in almost equal measure, reflecting the country’s political divisions. Newspapers have also given it extensive coverage, with many publishing excerpts concerning major events of the past half-century. HarperCollins India agreed to publish the book after talks between Sonia’s team and Penguin Random House India broke down. The publisher did not respond to a Reuters request for comment on the book’s reception. On Wednesday, the book remained at the top of Amazon India’s bestseller list, despite its price of 1,299 rupees ($14), which was considered expensive.
