Sonia Gandhi describes her brother-in-law Sanjay Gandhi as a “man in a hurry” in her memoir, Belonging: A Journey of Love, and says he had significant influence over decisions during the Emergency despite lacking constitutional authority for some interventions.
Her account of the Emergency
Recalling the period from June 1975 to March 1977, Sonia Gandhi writes that India woke to the Emergency on June 26, 1975, after arrests had been made overnight. She says opposition leaders and other dissenters were detained, habeas corpus was suspended, public gatherings were prohibited and the press was censored. Her memoir portrays then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi as uneasy about imposing the Emergency, but feeling compelled to do so amid what Sonia describes as the prevailing havoc.
Sanjay Gandhi’s programme
Sonia Gandhi rejects accounts that portray Sanjay as a coward, describing him instead as fearless, at times recklessly so. She also discusses his Five Point Programme, which addressed dowry, caste discrimination, illiteracy, family planning, tree planting and urban renovation. The initiatives were implemented through the Youth Congress, she writes, while noting that some members acted aggressively in seeking Sanjay’s favour.
