Sonia Gandhi: Indian publisher pulls memoir over too many references to Modi and China
When asked to remove certain passages from the book, Gandhi is said to have replied that it was the story of her life and that she would not alter anything in the text
from our correspondent Marco Masciaga
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NEW DELHI - The Indian publisher of the forthcoming memoir by Sonia Gandhi has announced that it has pulled out of publishing what was billed as one of the most eagerly awaited books of the year in the subcontinent’s vast and vibrant publishing market. Penguin Random House India’s decision was confirmed on Friday in a statement that offered no explanation, other than a general one, for the decision.
According to reports in numerous Indian media outlets, the publisher’s decision to back out is said to be linked to certain passages in the book in which Gandhi – who is one of the best-known figures in the main opposition party – discusses Prime Minister Narendra Modi; the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the right-wing Hindu organisation from which Modi hails; and the clashes between India and China in 2020–21 on the disputed border between the two countries.
“The insinuations” that the failure to publish was due to “the author’s refusal to make editorial changes do not accurately reflect the circumstances”, reads a statement from Penguin Random House India. “As publishers, it is our responsibility to carry out fact-checking and to advise authors in the best interests of their books.”
According to sources cited by the newspaper The Hindu, when asked to remove certain passages from the book, Gandhi reportedly replied that it was the story of her life and that she would not alter anything in the text, because any form of self-censorship would interfere with the narrative process.
Penguin Random House India is no stranger to backtracking of this sort: this year it was due to publish the memoir by former army chief Manoj Makund Naravane, but it seems that – once again – the account of the clashes on the border with China has halted its release. The same fate befell The Once and Future Riot, a graphic novel by Joe Sacco about the clashes between Hindus and Muslims that took place in 2013 in Muzaffarnagar, in Uttar Pradesh, which was apparently blocked due to the inclusion of a map of India that differed from the official version issued by the New Delhi government.
