Congress leader Sonia Gandhi has recalled a deeply distressing encounter with a father and his sexually assaulted daughter during her visit to riot-hit Gujarat in 2002, describing it as one of the most wrenching experiences of her political life.
In her memoir, Belonging: A Journey of Love, released on Tuesday, Gandhi recounts visiting Ahmedabad with an all-party delegation in the aftermath of the communal violence and witnessing the suffering of survivors sheltered in overcrowded relief camps.
Gandhi, who was then the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, writes that the atmosphere in the city remained tense, with groups of young men shouting anti-Muslim slogans on the streets.
"The atmosphere was still chilling. Groups of young men could be seen on the streets shouting anti-Muslim slogans. Our delegation met with the administration, which presented a report devoid of any feeling โ only to be expected," she writes.
The delegation was subsequently taken to relief camps housing survivors of the violence, where Gandhi encountered scenes of devastation that left a lasting impression on her.
๐ ๐ณ๐ฎ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ'๐ ๐ฝ๐น๐ฒ๐ฎ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ต๐ฒ๐น๐ฝ
Describing the conditions inside one of the camps, Gandhi recalls traumatised men, women and children crowded together in a makeshift hall.
As the delegation entered, an emaciated man approached the leaders carrying his young daughter, who appeared physically and emotionally devastated.
"His voice broke as he said, 'Here, this is my child, take a look at her, take a good look. The rakshasas (demons) raped her again and again,'" Gandhi writes.
The man broke down and pleaded with the visiting leaders to intervene.
"Main kya karun, kya karun? Kuch karo, kuch karo," he cried, asking what he should do and urging them to help.
Gandhi says the encounter left her overwhelmed and unable to respond meaningfully.
She describes herself as "shattered, in a state of stupor, gripped by horror, and unable to speak or react beyond a few mumbled words of sympathy".
The Congress leader identifies the incident as the most emotionally devastating moment of her visit to the relief camps.
๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐ต๐ถ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ผ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฎ๐ณ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐บ๐ฎ๐๐ต
In the memoir, Gandhi also reflects on the events preceding the 2002 communal violence.
The riots followed the February 27, 2002, fire aboard the Sabarmati Express at Godhra, in which 59 people, including Hindu kar sevaks returning from Ayodhya, were killed.
Gandhi writes that the cause of the fire remained disputed, while the violence that followed spread across several parts of Gujarat, with Muslims accounting for the overwhelming majority of victims.
"The cause of the fire remains disputed, but the turmoil that followed spread to many parts of the state, and the victims were overwhelmingly Muslims," she writes.
She recalls watching reports of the violence with horror and receiving desperate calls from Congress colleagues in Gujarat seeking assistance.
According to Gandhi, attempts to secure help for those affected were frustrated by what she describes as the administration's failure to respond adequately.
She also refers to allegations concerning the involvement of organisations associated with the Sangh Parivar in the violence.
"The riots were said to have been fuelled by a fanatical fringe of the BJP and RSS, the Bajrang Dal. The chief minister of the state at the time was Narendra Modi," she writes.
๐ฉ๐ฎ๐ท๐ฝ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฒ'๐ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ฝ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฒ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ฒ๐ฑ
Gandhi also discusses the political developments that followed the riots, particularly the position of then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
She writes that Vajpayee was widely expected to remove Narendra Modi as Gujarat chief minister following the violence.
However, according to her account, pressure from within the BJP reportedly prevented such a move.
Gandhi presents this as part of the political circumstances surrounding the aftermath of the riots, which attracted criticism both within India and internationally.
The memoir also refers to the international response to Modi's leadership during the period.
Gandhi notes that the United States and some European governments imposed or maintained restrictions on engagement with Modi, including visa-related measures, amid concerns over the violence.
"There was an international outcry and the governments of the US, UK, and some European countries declared in 2005 that they would not grant the Gujarat chief minister a visa," she writes.
She contrasts that period with Modi's subsequent reception by international leaders after he became Prime Minister in 2014.
๐ ๐ฒ๐บ๐ผ๐ถ๐ฟ ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐น ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฝ๐ผ๐น๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น ๐ท๐ผ๐๐ฟ๐ป๐ฒ๐
The 526-page memoir, published by HarperCollins India, traces Gandhi's life from her childhood in post-war Italy to her marriage into the Nehru-Gandhi family and her eventual entry into Indian politics.
It also revisits defining personal and political experiences, including the assassination of her husband, former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, and the circumstances that shaped her public life.
Her account of the Gujarat riots forms part of the book's reflections on the communal violence, political crises and human suffering she encountered during her years in public office.
Through the recollection of her visit to Ahmedabad, Gandhi highlights the devastating consequences of communal violence on ordinary families, particularly women and children, and the enduring emotional impact of witnessing their suffering.