Sonia Gandhi's memoir ‘Belonging’: HarperCollins announces November 10 release

Congress veteran Sonia Gandhi's memoir, 'Belonging: A Journey of Love', will be released by HarperCollins on November 10, the publisher has announced. The book is set to arrive after Penguin Random House India (PRHI) withdrew from publishing it, triggering a political controversy around the manuscript.

The memoir is expected to cover several significant chapters of Sonia Gandhi's life, including her childhood in Italy, her marriage into the Nehru-Gandhi family, the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi and her eventual entry into politics.

Penguin India backs out of publication

The book had earlier been announced for publication by Alfred A Knopf, the US-based imprint of Penguin Random House. However, Penguin Random House India subsequently decided not to proceed with its publication.

The decision led to allegations from Congress leaders that political pressure was brought to bear over portions of the manuscript. Former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot alleged that sections concerning Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the RSS and China's occupation of Indian territory during the Modi government were targeted.

“The real issue is that pressure was put on Penguin India to remove the portions related to Modi, the RSS, and the occupation of Indian territory by China during Modi's rule. This is the murder of democracy,” Gehlot alleged.

BJP questions memoir's contents

The BJP rejected the allegations and also questioned how the contents of the book should be assessed.

BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said, “Whether the book written by Sonia Gandhi is a memoir or fiction is a matter to be decided between the author and the publisher. If a work labelled as a memoir turns out to be fiction, the publisher will certainly assess that before making a decision,”

What Penguin India said

PRHI denied claims that the decision was the result of government pressure. According to the publisher, the manuscript went through its “normal editorial process”, during which various issues were discussed with representatives of Sonia Gandhi.

“On some, they agreed to changes and on others, we accepted the author's position. Unfortunately, and ultimately, an understanding could not be reached on a particular issue,” the publisher said.

Sonia Gandhi's team subsequently informed Penguin India that it did not want to continue with the publication. PRHI said it would not disclose the details behind the disagreement, citing its contractual obligations and author confidentiality.

HarperCollins will now publish 'Belonging: A Journey of Love' on November 10.