Sonia Gandhi’s memoir recalls family assassinations and Congress leadership

Sonia Gandhi’s memoir recounts how the assassinations of her mother-in-law, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, and later her husband, Rajiv Gandhi, shaped her life and drew her into Indian politics. Her account highlights the personal cost of public office and the family’s continuing influence on the Congress party.

Indira was killed by two Sikh bodyguards on 31 October 1984, after the Indian army’s operation at the Golden Temple; Rajiv became prime minister that evening and was assassinated in 1991. Sonia, who had met Rajiv while studying in England and initially disliked politics, eventually led Congress through two general election victories, amid concerns that the party was weakening and Hindu nationalism was gaining ground.