For decades, the corridors of New Delhi have been defined by the ebb and flow of political rivalry. Yet, even in a landscape accustomed to ideological friction, the relationship—or lack thereof—between former Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Narendra Modi stands out as a study in absolute detachment. In her recently released autobiography, Belonging: A Journey of Love, published by HarperCollins India, Gandhi offers a rare, candid look at the nature of their interactions. It is a portrait not of heated debate or fierce parliamentary sparring, but of a profound, chilling silence.
Gandhi’s account strips away the veneer of formal parliamentary decorum to reveal the reality of their face-to-face encounters. According to the Rajya Sabha MP, there has never been a genuine political conversation between the two leaders. Their interactions, she writes, are confined to the most perfunctory of exchanges—brief, formal greetings during parliamentary sessions or fleeting moments in the Speaker’s chamber. This is not the standard friction of opposing parties; it is a total absence of engagement. She describes a dynamic where, even in these semi-official settings, the Prime Minister avoids eye contact, rendering their proximity entirely hollow.
Narendra Modi avoids eye contact during meetings, Sonia Gandhi writes in memoir https://t.co/pMPL2sp0tl
To understand why this silence is so striking, one must look at the history of Indian governance that Gandhi reflects upon. She notes that in the past, leaders of opposing ideologies were still capable of maintaining a degree of personal warmth. There was a time when the divide between parties did not preclude the possibility of human connection. The current climate, she suggests, is entirely different. The personal rapport that once softened the edges of political conflict has, in her view, evaporated.
At the heart of this estrangement lies a fundamental disagreement over the soul of the country.
At the heart of this estrangement lies a fundamental disagreement over the soul of the country. Gandhi does not frame their distance as a personal grudge, but as an inevitable consequence of two irreconcilable visions for India. She describes her own political philosophy as one rooted in the pillars of diversity, secularism, equality, and social justice. In contrast, she characterizes the Prime Minister’s worldview as being deeply influenced by the ideology of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). This is not just a disagreement over policy, but a clash of foundational beliefs that leaves no room for common ground.
#WATCH | Saharanpur, UP: On mention of PM Modi in CPP chairperson Sonia Gandhi's memoir, 'Belonging: A Journey of Love' and her remarks on PM Modi, Congress MP Imran Masood says, "...Sonia ji is very honest and speaks clearly. What she has written is not light." On Operation Blue Star mentioned in the memoir, he says, "Congress formed a Govt in that state. So, this was indeed regretted. India Gandhi paid for it with her own life. Such criticisms are useless."
Ultimately, Belonging: A Journey of Love serves as a historical marker for the current state of Indian politics. By documenting the absence of dialogue, Gandhi highlights how the political center has shifted. The book does more than recount personal experiences; it provides a sobering assessment of a political era where the divide between the government and the opposition has become so wide that even the most basic human connection has ceased to exist. As it stands, the silence between these two political titans remains a defining feature of the contemporary Indian narrative.