Sonia Gandhi’s new memoir, Belonging: A Journey of Love, reveals former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s strict household discipline.
HarperCollins India published the 544-page book, which details Sonia’s journey from post-war Italy into the famous Nehru-Gandhi political family.
Strict Punishments and Temper
Sonia writes that Indira’s occasional explosions of temper often froze the household staff into complete numbness.
Once, Indira forced a forgetful staff member to stand in a room corner while others hurried past him.
In another incident, Sonia saw a senior Congress leader standing immobile in a corner, staring straight at the wall.
The man remained stuck against the wall for thirty minutes under Indira’s strict orders, Sonia later discovered.
Indira also expressed severe displeasure by completely ignoring offending individuals, leaving them in anxious suspense for several days.
Dining Table Outbursts
Parliamentary clashes often triggered Indira’s anger at home, leading to sudden outbursts at the family dining table.
During one heated moment, Indira angrily pushed her thali across the long dining table, deeply unsettling young Sonia.
While Sonia quaked in fear, Rajiv and Sanjay Gandhi sat quietly, waiting for their mother’s anger to pass.
Although Indira usually regretted her outbursts, she permanently distanced herself from colleagues who betrayed her political trust.
A Softer Side
Beyond politics, Indira relaxed by sorting old photographs by date and organizing her treasured sarees and Kashmiri shawls.
Eventually, becoming a grandmother softened Indira, as her grandchildren’s innocent smiles immediately melted her tense moods.
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