HarperCollins India is set to publish Sonia Gandhi’s memoir, Belonging: A Journey of Love, on November 10, finally putting to rest the uncertainty over its release in India. The book will hit the shelves in India at the same time as its international edition.
Originally, Penguin Random House India (PRHI) was supposed to bring the memoir to Indian readers. But on August 28, PRHI announced it would no longer be handling the Indian release, following a stalemate with Gandhi’s team over the manuscript.
Insiders from the publishing world suggest the discord stemmed from parts of the book that discuss Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s approach to India-China relations, Gandhi’s personal views on Modi from official encounters since 2014, and the activities of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). These sections reportedly faced intense legal vetting during the publication process.
Sources mentioned that there were proposals to modify or omit these parts. However, Gandhi stood her ground, refusing to make the suggested changes. She argued that the memoir reflects her personal experiences, and altering these sections would amount to self-censorship, compromising the integrity of her narrative.
PRHI denied claims that they dropped the book simply because Gandhi rejected editorial adjustments. They explained that fact-checking and suggesting changes are routine in publishing. The publisher stated that any notion they abandoned the project due to the author’s resistance to changes “does not accurately reflect the circumstances.”
PRHI emphasized its duty to verify facts in manuscripts and provide recommendations for the book’s benefit. They noted that editorial discussions included both agreements and disagreements, but in the end, “an understanding could not be reached on a particular issue.” While they didn’t specify the issue, citing confidentiality, they denied that external pressure influenced their decision.
Meanwhile, Congress leaders claimed there was pressure on PRHI to revise or eliminate sensitive content. Senior Congress figure and former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot took to X on August 28, questioning why content acceptable internationally was not being published in India. He alleged that pressure was applied on Penguin India to delete sections related to Modi, the RSS, and China’s territorial occupation, describing it as a “murder of democracy.”
PRHI has not confirmed that mentions of Modi, the RSS, or India-China ties were the specific sticking points in the disagreement. With HarperCollins India taking over the publication, the sections at the heart of the dispute with PRHI are anticipated to be included in the Indian edition.
The memoir narrates Gandhi’s journey from her childhood in post-war Italy to meeting Rajiv Gandhi in Cambridge in 1965, their marriage, and her life in India. It discusses her adaptation to Indian culture, learning Hindi, and adapting to local customs. The book also recounts the deaths of Sanjay Gandhi, Indira Gandhi, and Rajiv Gandhi, as well as her political career, including the Congress-led alliance’s win in the 2004 Lok Sabha election, her decision not to take the Prime Minister’s post, and her leadership of the Congress and the United Progressive Alliance government.
This incident is not isolated. The publication of other books in India has faced similar hurdles. Former Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane’s memoir, Four Stars of Destiny, also planned for PRHI, remains unpublished amid disputes over parts concerning Galwan-related events. PRHI later asserted its rights over the manuscript, noting that the book had not been published.
Earlier, graphic novelist Joe Sacco’s The Once and Future Riot, based on the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots, was pulled by PRHI, citing issues with an inaccurate map of India. Sacco later claimed the map issue was an excuse, linking the withdrawal to India’s political climate.
Industry insiders describe the legal scrutiny of politically sensitive material as an increasingly crucial part of the publication process in India. The controversy over Gandhi’s memoir underscores the delicate balance between a publisher’s duty to fact-check and edit, and an author’s right to maintain politically sensitive perspectives in their work.
