The picture in India changed within just 10 days. On August 18, American publisher Alfred A. Knopf’s announcement that it would publish Congress leader Sonia Gandhi’s memoir generated enormous interest and excitement. On August 28, that excitement was dampened by a decision from Penguin Random House India. That day, Penguin Random House announced it would not be publishing the book in India.
Penguin Random House’s sudden and surprising decision has raised a thousand questions — and understandably so. Some portions of the manuscript reportedly struck the publisher as objectionable or “untrue,” yet those same portions apparently did not strike its sister company, Alfred A. Knopf, as objectionable. Knopf has not backed away from its decision to publish the book.
This has raised questions about exactly what Sonia Gandhi wrote, and how, that caught Penguin Random House’s attention so late in the process. Or why it raised no objection until now. Should it be assumed, then, that the publisher backed off under political pressure from the ruling party? Indian politics has been abuzz with the question.
After the news broke, Congress leaders have said since Friday that the Indian publisher’s decision came under pressure from the ruling BJP. Various newspapers’ online editions and news portals began discussing the reasons behind the decision from Friday night onward.
Media reports said Penguin objected to material Sonia presented in her memoir, titled “Belonging: A Journey of Love,” concerning Narendra Modi’s leadership, the growing influence of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), and the conflict with China. Citing a source close to the Gandhi family, the Hindustan Times reported that Penguin had requested the withdrawal of those sections, but Sonia refused.
According to that source, Sonia’s memoir describes in detail how Narendra Modi referred to her as a “Jersey cow” at a public rally in Gujarat in 2014.
Citing the same source, the Hindustan Times report said: “Sonia’s political life has been a long one, so her memories are extensive. Her impressions of Prime Minister Modi — from their meetings and conversations — are certainly recorded in detail. She has written about how she navigated those matters as a politician, but that is what became a problem for the publisher.”
The report also said Sonia compares Modi with the country’s other prime ministers. However, the Hindustan Times report did not specify what Sonia wrote about the RSS.
Without naming Congress leaders, NDTV reported, citing them, that Penguin Random House objected to three chapters. First, the China-India conflict in the Galwan area of eastern Ladakh — an issue opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, have repeatedly raised in parliament and spoken about publicly.
Second, Sonia has raised questions about various policies of the central government, as well as about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership style. And third, she discusses the RSS’s role in Indian social history, and how much and in what way its influence over government functioning has grown.
Penguin Random House issued a statement Friday afternoon saying it would not be publishing the memoir. It acknowledged that after fact-checking some information, it had proposed edits — something it said was both its right and its responsibility.
Following that statement, Congress leaders launched into criticism. They described the move as tantamount to “killing free speech,” with some going so far as to say Penguin had “sold out.”
Congress deputy leader in the Lok Sabha, Gaurav Gogoi, said the publisher can bring out a stack of books about the RSS, but is backing away from publishing Sonia Gandhi’s memoir. He said many within the BJP are afraid, which is why they are trying to block publication of the book in India.
Former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot said on X that pressure was put on Penguin to remove sections related to the Chinese military’s occupation of Indian territory under Modi’s rule, Modi’s leadership, and the RSS’s influence at every level. Former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath wrote asking whether a publisher should get to decide what a senior leader like Sonia Gandhi may or may not write. He said he suspects political pressure is behind the decision. The Youth Congress alleged that Penguin had “sold out.”
Sonia Gandhi’s memoir is scheduled to be published on November 19. An initial print run of 100,000 copies had been planned. Given the changed circumstances, doubts have now emerged over who, if anyone, will dare to publish an affordable Indian edition of the book.
The government and the BJP have so far remained silent on the controversy. Questions have also begun to surface over whether “Belonging: A Journey of Love” will meet the same fate as former Indian army chief Manoj Mukund Naravane’s memoir “Four Stars of Destiny” (which was not published in India), or whether the book could end up being banned in India.