In her first post, Sonia Gandhi described the memoir as a story of “love, duty, loss and finding a place to belong”
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Congress parliamentary party chairperson Sonia Gandhi joined Instagram on Wednesday, sharing the first look of her forthcoming memoir, Belonging: A Journey of Love, in the presence of her friend Manju Dubey.
The 79-year-old Congress leader’s debut on the platform marks her entry into a social media space widely used by young people, particularly Generation Z. Instagram has increasingly become a communication channel for Indian politicians, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, to share public engagements, political messages and glimpses of their personal lives.
In her first post, Sonia Gandhi described the memoir as a story of “love, duty, loss and finding a place to belong” and said she looked forward to sharing it with readers. She also pointed out photographs of her daughter and Vayanad MP Priyanaka Gandhi.
“Hello everyone, I’m truly grateful to share this moment with you all; the first look of Belonging: A Journey of Love. It is a story of love, duty, loss and finding a place to belong. I look forward to sharing it with you,” she wrote.
Instagram’s visual format has made it an important platform for politicians seeking to communicate beyond conventional speeches, press conferences and party statements.
Modi and Rahul Gandhi have used the platform to share political events, public interactions and personal moments, while several other leaders have expanded their social media presence to connect with younger audiences.
Sonia Gandhi’s entry comes ahead of the memoir’s worldwide release on November 10 by Alfred A Knopf, an imprint of Penguin Random House.
The memoir traces her journey from childhood in post-war Italy to her life in India, including her romance with Rajiv Gandhi during their time at Cambridge and the assassinations of her mother-in-law, former prime minister Indira Gandhi, and her husband.
The book has also drawn attention over a reported disagreement between Sonia Gandhi and Penguin Random House India (PRHI) concerning its contents.
HT had earlier reported that the proposed publishing arrangement with PRHI fell through after Gandhi refused to alter or remove references to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Chinese intrusions.
A person familiar with the matter said Gandhi maintained that the memoir was her story and that she would not allow distortions to her account of her life.
PRHI issued a statement following media reports that it had withdrawn from publishing the memoir in India. Later, HarperCollins finalised an agreement to publish and distribute the Indian edition.
The memoir revisits the personal experiences and tragedies that shaped Sonia Gandhi’s relationship with India. Despite her decades-long presence at the centre of national politics, she has largely maintained a private public persona.
Her son, Rahul Gandhi, recently expressed pride in her decision to share her story. On the birth anniversary of Rajiv Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition said he was happy that millions of people would be able to read his mother’s account.
“I know how hard it was for someone as private as you to tell the world your beautiful story,” he said, adding that he imagined his father looking down proudly at Sonia.
Sonia Gandhi, who served as Congress president for nearly two decades across two terms, is expected to offer readers a personal account of her journey into the Nehru-Gandhi family and the experiences that shaped her public life.
With the worldwide release approaching, attention will remain on the memoir’s contents and the final form of its Indian edition.
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