New Delhi, 10 November (H.S.): Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi has shared several personal and political experiences in her memoir, Belonging: A Journey of Love, including her first meeting and marriage to Rajiv Gandhi, her move to India, family tragedies and her decision to decline the post of Prime Minister in 2004.

Describing the book as a personal memoir rather than a political account, Sonia Gandhi has dedicated it to her children, Rahul and Priyanka, and her grandchildren, Raihan and Miraya.

The book, published by HarperCollins India, began appearing in bookstores on Tuesday without a formal launch event. It comprises seven chapters. The photograph of Sonia Gandhi featured on the cover was taken by Rajiv Gandhi in 1966.

On Tuesday, Sonia Gandhi shared an excerpt from the book on social media platform X, recalling her decision not to accept the Prime Minister's post in 2004. She wrote that the last traces of doubt had disappeared from her mind and that she had told herself she needed to remain true to herself.

Congress general secretary K. C. Venugopal also congratulated her on the publication of the book through a post on X. Describing her life as an inspiring journey, he said it had been a special experience for him to work with her and observe her leadership closely.

In the memoir, Sonia Gandhi reveals that she had decided several months before the 2004 Lok Sabha elections that she would not accept the post of Prime Minister even if the Congress came to power. Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi, too, did not want her to assume the position. The memories of the assassinations of Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi weighed heavily on her, and she feared that becoming Prime Minister could expose her to greater personal danger.

She writes that she deliberately kept her decision private during the election campaign to avoid triggering a leadership dispute within the party.

After the election victory, leaders of the alliance tried to persuade her to reconsider. Although she expressed her reluctance, they assumed she had agreed without allowing her to complete what she wanted to say. During this period, Rahul asked her why she had agreed to become Prime Minister, while Priyanka reminded her that she had already made her position clear.

Sonia Gandhi also cites the controversy surrounding her foreign origin as one of the reasons behind her decision. She feared that the BJP and its allies would use the issue to create a political controversy if she became Prime Minister. She eventually proposed Dr Manmohan Singh's name for the post.

The memoir also recounts her first meeting with Rajiv Gandhi. At the age of 19, she had travelled from Italy to Cambridge to learn English. It was there, at a Greek restaurant, that she first noticed Rajiv Gandhi. One day in January, their common friend, Christian von Stieglitz, introduced them.

Sonia writes that they felt drawn to each other from their very first meeting. Their interactions gradually increased, and they began spending more time together. However, she was initially afraid to tell her father about the relationship, fearing that he might call her back to Italy.

Reflecting on her decision to give up Italian citizenship and acquire Indian citizenship, Sonia Gandhi writes that she retained her Italian passport for a long time because it represented an important part of her identity. However, after Rajiv Gandhi entered public life, she felt that acquiring Indian citizenship was the right step.

She recalls that when she formally completed the process of obtaining Indian citizenship in 1983, her heart began racing as she read through the documents. She felt that a part of her identity was being left behind forever.

The memoir also contains several interesting accounts of her interactions with international leaders.

Recounting former US President Bill Clinton's visit to India in 2000, Sonia Gandhi writes that during a reception hosted by then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, she noticed Clinton discreetly glancing at the beautiful women present at the gathering.

She also refers to Clinton's views on Kashmir, writing that he regarded the region as a potential centre of nuclear confrontation and one of the most dangerous places in the world.

Recalling the 2008 visit of then French President Nicolas Sarkozy to India, she writes that he had arrived without his partner, Carla Bruni. During a banquet, the wife of then Vice-President Mohammad Hamid Ansari asked Sarkozy about his plans to marry. He responded casually and continued sending messages to Bruni over the phone. Sonia Gandhi adds that during a subsequent meeting, she found Sarkozy's behaviour somewhat arrogant.

Sonia Gandhi also recounts her meetings with Britain's Princess Diana. She writes that she attended Diana's wedding in 1981 with Rajiv Gandhi. During Diana's visit to India in 1992, the two met in front of the Taj Mahal. Diana later visited Sonia Gandhi's home for tea.

At the time, Sonia's mother was also in India. Priyanka introduced her to Diana, who spoke to Sonia's mother in Italian. As she was leaving, Diana bid her goodbye with the words, Ciao, Nonna.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar