Sonia Gandhi's Memoir to Release in India After Publisher Standoff

Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi's memoir, Belonging: A Journey of Love, will be released in India by HarperCollins India on November 10, the same day as its international edition. The announcement ends months of uncertainty over whether Indian readers would get the book domestically.

The memoir was initially slated for publication by Penguin Random House India (PRHI), but on August 28 the publisher announced it was no longer handling the Indian edition. The international edition is being published by Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of Penguin Random House.

According to publishing-industry sources, the dispute arose over sections of the manuscript dealing with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's handling of India-China relations, Ms. Gandhi's impressions of Mr. Modi from official meetings, and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Sources said recommendations were made to alter or remove these portions during the editorial and legal scrutiny process.

Ms. Gandhi reportedly declined to make the suggested changes, arguing that the book is an account of her life and that altering those sections would amount to self-censorship. PRHI, however, has denied that it dropped the book because the author refused editorial changes. In a statement, the publisher said fact-checking and making recommendations are part of the normal publishing process, and that while there were agreements and disagreements, an understanding could not be reached on a particular issue. It did not specify the issue, citing confidentiality, and denied any external pressure.

Congress leaders have alleged that the publisher was pressured by the government. Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot questioned why the book could be published internationally but not in India, and accused the government of trying to influence publishers. PRHI has not confirmed that the references to Mr. Modi, the RSS, or India-China relations were the point of contention.

With HarperCollins India taking over, the book will be available to Indian readers at the same time as the international edition, and sections reportedly at the centre of the dispute are expected to remain intact.

The episode is not isolated. Former Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane's memoir, Four Stars of Destiny, also faced publication difficulties with PRHI over reported differences on Galwan-related events. Graphic novelist Joe Sacco's The Once and Future Riot was withdrawn by PRHI over an inaccurate map of India, a decision Sacco linked to the political climate.

The controversy has renewed focus on the balance between editorial responsibility and an author's right to retain politically sensitive content in memoirs.