Sonia Gandhi shares rare insights on Prime Minister Modi in new memoir

Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi states in her new memoir that she has had practically no real contact with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and that he tends to avoid eye contact when they meet face-to-face. Published by HarperCollins India, the book is titled Belonging: A Journey of Love and hit the stands on Tuesday.

Interactions

Gandhi notes that their limited meetings occur at semi-official gatherings like the end of Parliament sessions in the Speaker's chamber, where they greet each other with a formal namaste. While they have exchanged formal birthday and New Year greetings, and Modi has occasionally asked if she is all right after hospital stays, they have never truly conversed. She writes that Modi's path to politics differed from hers, acknowledging that he worked his way to power within the RSS from an underprivileged world, though his origins may not be as humble as his public relations team presents.

Ideological Divisions

The memoir contrasts their differing visions for the country, with Gandhi describing her view of India as one of inclusiveness, secularism, and social justice, while stating that Modi's vision is rooted in an exclusionary version of Hinduism shaped by the RSS. She writes that Modi uses coarse language and derides the opposition in Parliament, frequently targeting India's first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. Furthermore, she states that the BJP aims for a Congress-free India due to conditioning by the RSS.

Context

Memoirs by senior political figures often provide personal perspectives on decades of public life and political rivalry. The relationship between leaders of opposing political parties in India has historically combined formal parliamentary courtesy with deep ideological disagreements.