Sonia Gandhi, one of the most powerful women in Indian politics, is the longest-serving president of the Indian National Congress. Though she is one of the influential figures in modern Indian history, the Nehru-Gandhi family’s daughter-in-law witnessed some of the most tragic events in her life, including the assassinations of her husband, Rajiv Gandhi, and her mother-in-law, India Gandhi.
Sonia Gandhi was devastated after she lost her first-born son
Sonia Gandhi’s autobiography, Belonging: A Journey of Love, was recently released and featured many lesser-known aspects of her life. In one of the chapters of the book, Sonia recalled the loss of her first child.
In the book, Sonia wrote that she and Rajeev were overjoyed to learn about her first pregnancy, and so was India Gandhi. She monitored Sonia’s diet and exercise. Everything was going smoothly in Sonia’s pregnancy until she began experiencing uneasiness and mild abdominal pain. Though the doctor advised her to rest, the pain intensified by the evening, and she was rushed to the hospital.
On January 18, 1969, the Gandhi household was filled with joy after Sonia Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi welcomed their first baby boy. It was a normal delivery, and she heard his cries. The baby was placed in an incubator, and later Rajeev took Sonia to see their baby. He was a perfectly formed boy with thick hair and tiny, long fingers. However, Rajiv was already told by the doctors that the chances of his survival were very low.
Rajiv gently broke the news to Sonia at 6:30 am when the end came. She was devastated and heartbroken by the loss. Both Rajiv and Sonia held each other and cried their heart out. Indira Gandhi cut short her tour and flew back after knowing the tragedy. Sonia writes that she, too, longed to have her own mother beside her.
Sonia Gandhi refused the traditional burial of her newborn baby
In her book, Sonia Gandhi revealed that after losing the baby, another painful moment for her and Rajiv was the baby’s burial. Rajiv explained that, according to Hindu tradition, a newborn child was simply released into the river rather than cremated. The newborn couldn’t be buried in a Christian cemetery since Rajiv’s father, Feroze Gandhi, was a Parsi. And since he did not follow Parsi customs, burial in a Parsi cemetery was also not possible.
When Rajiv told Sonia that releasing the baby into a river was the only option, she refused it and said, “No matter what, I’m not going to allow our baby to be thrown into the river.” Sonia’s refusal to release the baby into a river goes back to an incident when she witnessed a male body floating in the river near Okhla barrage.
The current had pushed it towards the bank, where hungry scavenging dogs were trying to pull it out. She didn’t wish to have her newborn meet the same fate and refused the idea, irrespective of the religious significance. Sonia and Rajiv then decided to bury the baby on his father, Feroz Gandhi’s farm in Mehrauli. Recalling the same, Sonia penned:
“It was a painful and agonizing option, but there was no other way. Rajiv came back to the hospital and told me that he and Sanjay had buried the little one deep under a beautiful pink bougainvillea bush, then in full bloom on the left side along the inner boundary wall.”
Did you know about the tragic chapter from Sonia Gandhi’s life?
Also Read: Amrita Rao’s Sister Preetika Gets Married Into A Tamil-Brahmin Family, Keeps Husband’s Face Hidden
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: bollywoodshaadis.com
