Dear Sonia ma’am,
Hope it finds you in the pink of your health. I’m writing this small tribute as a huge admirer of you and your life journey. Though, it’s a letter, I’m trying to keep it as a blog to better elaborate on the episodes I want to touch on.
Born in a small town in Italy, Sonia was one of three sisters in a Catholic family. After completing her initial schooling, she moved to Cambridge, England for language studies. Working as a part-time waitress at Varsity restaurant, she met Rajiv Gandhi, a 21-year-old boy from a high-profile political family in India. Being introduced through a common friend, both Rajiv and Sonia fell in love instantly.
In Sonia’s own words, “He (Rajiv) was a very gentle-looking person…that gentleness came through. That was something that really touched me and struck me. I’ll never forget when I first met him…I felt almost immediately that…he was someone I would really love to be with. And, of course, I learned that it was the same for him.”
Rajiv wanted to marry Sonia (19 then) and even met her family. But, since the legal age of marriage in Italy was 21 (unlike India), Sonia’s father asked him to wait for a year and said if she is firm with her decision even then, he is ready. He was also a bit apprehensive considering his daughter moving to an entirely different world, that too in a strong political family.
Eventually, after turning 21 on Dec 4, 1967, Sonia moved to India with Rajiv. Out of concern, her father even gave her a return ticket to Italy for two weeks later and said she can come back if things don’t go well. But what was pondered maybe for weeks, became a journey of a lifetime. Married in a traditional Hindu ceremony, Sonia Maino became Sonia Gandhi and embraced Indianness for the rest of her life.
Sonia and Rajiv had their first child in 1969, who unfortunately being born premature died just a day later. After much deliberation, they decided to bury the child in their ancestral house. Soon after, the couple was blessed with two children; Rahul in 1970 and Priyanka in 1972.
Totally averse to politics, Sonia always preferred to stay in the background of the Gandhi family. Interestingly, Rajiv too had little interest in politics till this phase, and it was his younger brother Sanjay Gandhi, who was more active and perceived as Indira’s successor. Sonia and Rajiv were reportedly even against Indira Gandhi’s decision to invoke Emergency (on behest of son Sanjay). It was only after Indira Gandhi’s comeback to power in 1980 and Sanjay’s death in plane crash in the same year, that Rajiv contested from family bastion of Amethi. Things, however, were going to change very soon.
After Indira Gandhi’s assassination by her bodyguards in 1984, the party urged Rajiv to take over as PM, considering him the best possible choice to keep the party united. At that time, Sonia was begging her hearts out, asking Rajiv to not take up the post. “They will kill you! they will kill you, too!”
But, considering the responsibility of his family, Rajiv took up the top job. The elections later that year gave Congress an unprecedented mandate with 414 seats – highest in Indian history. But, what followed was a string of challenges. Shah Bano case, Bofors scandal, LTTE Episode marked the turbulent years of Rajiv’s premiership, culminating in a big defeat for the party in 1989. But the worst for the Gandhi family was yet to come.
In May 1991, Rajiv was departing for a political rally in Tamil Nadu’s Sriperumbudur. He asked Sonia if she would like to accompany him, but she said she felt tired and it’s just a matter of two days. Unfortunately, what returned after two days was not Rajiv but only his smithereens. A suicide blast by LTTE affiliates blew Rajiv Gandhi into pieces and marked an irreparable wound in Sonia’s life.
I don’t have words to describe what the whole episode might have felt for her. The love of your life, someone you loved more than yourself dying due to the very politics, you discouraged him from joining. In her own words, “I couldn’t understand what she (Priyanka) was saying…It was less her words than the dread in Priyanka’s voice that froze me into realising what she really meant. I couldn’t breathe”.
After this tragedy and despite the political turbulence around, Congress managed to come to power in 1991 with PV Narasimha Rao given the helm. The next few years marked some of the most consequential years in Indian politics; LPG economic reforms, Babri Masjid demolition and rise of Hindutva politics, emergence of caste-based parties and multi-pronged alliances.
All this while, Sonia Gandhi chose to remain in shadows once again. Her sister, Nadia, even asked her to return to Italy along with Rahul and Priyanka. But she was firm. “India is my country now”.
In 1996, Congress was voted out, followed by two unstable third-front governments which couldn’t last long. In 1998, BJP succeeds in making proper government for the first time (not counting the 13-days stint), and Congress actually started looking like a party in decline. It was then, that she decided to put her duty above her personal preference and took the helm of the party. Her return to spotlight was marked less by any personal ambition and more by the urge to save the legacy of her husband’s family.
When she took charge as the president of Congress party, not many gave her a chance, considering her inexperience in politics. Sonia, being aware of her limitations, was smart enough to have aides like Ahmed Patel to make conscious choices. She succeeded in bringing players like Sharad Pawar (who broke away from Congress) and DMK (which had rough ties with Congress then over its stand post Rajiv’s assassination) under one roof and stitch the United Progressive Alliance (UPA). Beating all odds, UPA went on to dethrone NDA’s six-year stint and mark a decade of Congress-led alliance in power.
However, even this victor phase couldn’t have passed without some episodes of humiliation and agony for Mrs Gandhi. Though there was no OFFICIAL PM face before the elections, Sonia Gandhi was one of those being projected as majority of Congress leaders wanted her as PM, despite her initial hesitation. Now, this led to a barrage of political attacks over her Italian origin.
BJP’s Sushma Swaraj threatened to shave her head if Sonia becomes PM; Uma Bharti asked, “If Pervez Musharraf wins the polls, will he be made the PM”. Shiv Sena’s Bal Thackeray spewed further venom saying, “If I marry an Italian girl and she dies, Italians will not make me their PM”. Dissent even emerged from within the party as Sharad Pawar and Subramanian Swamy broke away from the party on this very issue. The former asked why Congress can’t find any Indian out of one billion people and the latter mocked her as a “waitress”.
However, when the party was urging her to take over as PM, it was her own children, Rahul and Priyanka, who were most unabashedly against this decision fearing for her life. Rahul even threatened to do take “any possible step” if she didn’t back off from the decision within 24 hours. Ultimately, calmer heads prevailed and Sonia decided to pass on the baton to Dr Manmohan Singh, economist and ex-RBI Governor. Despite she not holding power directly, Sonia’s imprints as party supremo were clearly visible over the UPA years. Decisions like MGNREGA, Right to Information (RTI) and Right to Education (RTE) are considered the brainchild of Sonia.
However, attacks on her didn’t stop even after her declining the premiership. Today’s ruling party, BJP and its IT cell have spewed some of the most vulgar and pathetic comments on her. Prime Minister Modi himself took the charge mocking her as “Jersey Gaay (cow)” and Rahul as a “hybrid bachda (calf)”. Alleging corruption in widow’s pension, he even asked, “Congress ki konsi vidhwa thi jiske khate me paise jaa rahe the (Which Congress’ widow was reaping all the money)”. If all this is not enough, just take a look at the cheap and forged comments/images shared about Sonia Gandhi by BJP handles and leaders. The most commonly used term for her by BJP’s IT cell is that of a “bar girl” (Technically, no one should have objection even to that).
I get totally out of words whenever I look at the blind hatred spewed against a sober person with no fault of hers. What wrong has she done? Marrying someone she loved? Embracing a culture which was totally alien to her upbringing? Steering her husband’s party when she could’ve chosen a far more comfortable life? If the answer is no, then what makes some zealots hate her so much? Many might point to some of her political stands or decisions. Fine. It is the right of people to question and criticize a politician and their politics. Even I might have disagreed over some of her decisions and there is a civilized way to discuss that. But what can explain this level of toxic vendetta against someone’s personal life, even mocking her life’s biggest tragedy.
Mrs Gandhi…at the end, I would just like to apologize to you for the way this country treated you. You embraced Indianness with all your heart and soul, but all you got was hatred and grief. What never fails to amaze me is your attitude. Never for once, did you resort back to the style of hatred thrown at you. Even after all this, all you have for the country is love and gratitude. For me, you represent the idea of liberty, women empowerment, secularism – all of the principles, the Hindutva politics opposes.
Wishing you all the health and happiness and may you soon witness your ultimate dream (IYKYK). Leaving with a quote of yours…
Your Admirer,
Arunesh
“मैं सुहागिन यहीं बनी, माँ यहीं बनी, मैं विधवा आपके सामने हुई… इस देश की सबसे महान पुत्री इंदिरा जी ने अपनी अंतिम सांस मेरी बाहों में तोड़ी… मेरे खून की एक-एक बूँद कहती है, ये मेरा वतन है… ये मेरा वतन है!”
