Sonia Gandhi memoir gets new publisher after Penguin row, to release on November 10

NEW DELHI: Congress leader Sonia Gandhi’s memoir Belonging: A Journey of Love will be published in India by HarperCollins India and is scheduled for release on November 10. The announcement comes after Penguin Random House India decided not to publish the memoir in India, triggering a political controversy over the circumstances surrounding the decision.

The book traces Sonia Gandhi’s journey from her childhood in post-war Italy to her decades-long political life in India. HarperCollins described the memoir as “one of the most anticipated political memoirs of our time” and said it would offer a rare perspective on India’s political and social journey. The international edition of the memoir is being published by Alfred A. Knopf, a Penguin Random House imprint.

Reports had suggested that Penguin Random House India’s decision was linked to Sonia Gandhi’s refusal to accept changes to certain portions of the memoir. However, Penguin said the characterisation that it decided not to publish the book because the author declined editorial changes did not accurately reflect the circumstances.

The publisher said fact-checking and editorial recommendations were part of its normal publishing process and that discussions over the memoir reached an impasse on a particular issue. It also denied that any external pressure was behind its decision.

The development subsequently became a political issue, with Congress leaders alleging that Penguin had sought the removal of references to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and India-China relations from the memoir. Some Congress leaders also alleged that the publisher had succumbed to external pressure. They described the decision as an attack on freedom of expression and expressed concern over its implications for democracy.

Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and other Congress leaders alleged that Penguin had faced pressure to remove references concerning Modi, the RSS and China’s alleged occupation of Indian territory during the Modi government’s tenure.

Penguin Random House India has denied the allegation of external pressure, saying the impasse resulted from the inability of the two sides to reach an agreement on a particular issue during their discussions.