Sonia Gandhi’s Emotional Memoir Revelation: When Rahul Gandhi’s Friends Didn’t Turn Up For His Birthday

Sonia Gandhi's memoir recounts Rahul Gandhi's lonely seventh birthday in 1977, revealing how Indira Gandhi's electoral defeat and the Emergency's aftermath exposed the family to political isolation.

New Delhi: Congress veteran Sonia Gandhi, in her newly released memoir, Belonging: A Journey Of Love, recounts an emotional episode from Rahul Gandhi's seventh birthday on June 19, 1977. She recounted how the occasion exposed the family to the harsh realities of being in power and political isolation.

Rahul Gandhi's birthday came months after Indira Gandhi suffered a crushing electoral defeat after the Emergency. The Congress party's loss of power dramatically changed the family's circumstances.

In the book, Sonia Gandhi recalls that the family had recently moved into their new residence at 12, Willingdon Crescent. The family decided to make Rahul's birthday special; Sonia Gandhi and a young Priyanka Gandhi Vadra spent hours decorating the house and preparing a homemade cake.

On his birthday, Rahul had given his mother a list of neighbourhood children who had attended his previous birthday parties. However, when the celebrations approached, almost none of them turned up. Only his closest friend, Siddharth, arrived.

Indira Gandhi's surprise gift went unused

The book recalls a bittersweet moment involving Indira Gandhi, who owned a collection of lifelike clay toys from Bengal shaped like insects, lizards and flies.

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She carefully kept the unusual toys in cotton wool in a tin box and had asked Sonia to keep it ready. She planned to secretly place the toys on the children's plates to startle them and make everyone laugh.

But when it became clear that the other children were not coming, Indira quietly handed the box back to Sonia, saying, “We can use it another time".

Rajiv Gandhi explained why Rahul's friends stayed away

Seeing his son confused and upset, Rajiv Gandhi tried to explain to his seven-year-old why his friends had not attended the party.

He told Rahul: “It’s not your friends’ fault, Rahul; don’t be upset with them. Maybe their parents are afraid of being friends with your family. Some people are scared of the government."

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Sonia writes that the period was difficult for the children, who also faced ridicule at school. They would return home distressed, asking why their classmates were calling their grandmother, Indira Gandhi, and uncle Sanjay Gandhi “thieves" or saying they would be sent to jail.

Five-year-old Priyanka's lesson in forgiveness

In her book, Sonia also recalls an incident involving five-year-old Priyanka that revealed her young daughter's capacity for forgiveness.

After a boy at school made an unpleasant remark about Priyanka, she returned home crying. Sonia Gandhi was furious and wanted to intervene, but Priyanka asked her not to confront the boy.

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Sonia recounts, Priyanka pleaded, “No, Ma, no, please don’t say anything to him. He’s already been scolded by the teacher".

Sonia writes, “My heart sank: Here was my little five-year-old teaching me a lesson in forgiveness!".

The memoir describes how the family endured a period of political hostility and social isolation following the Congress defeat.