Sonia Gandhi writes in book of losing first son hours after his birth in 1969

Senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi has written about an intensely painful period of her life in her book 'Belonging: A Journey of Love'. According to the book, a few years after their marriage she and her husband, former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, lost their first child. The newborn died within hours of birth. The shock was hard for both of them to bear.

In the book, Sonia Gandhi describes her grief at the time, the support of the family and the moments of bidding the child a last farewell.

According to the book, she gave birth to a son on January 18, 1969. The delivery was premature. The incident took place about a year before the birth of Rahul Gandhi. During the pregnancy there was an atmosphere of joy in the Gandhi family, but within a few hours of the birth the situation suddenly turned and the family's happiness gave way to sorrow.

Sonia Gandhi writes that after the birth she heard the child's first cry. He was then placed in an incubator. Some time later Rajiv Gandhi took her to see the baby. The child looked healthy. She clearly remembers his thick black hair and long, delicate fingers.

At first sight, she and Rajiv Gandhi had lost their hearts to the child. But a few hours later, doctors told them the baby was no more.

Describing the moment, Sonia Gandhi conveys the depth of her shock. On hearing of the child's death, it became impossible for her to believe the reality. She kept asking why it had happened. She writes that she and Rajiv Gandhi were completely broken by the loss and that both were filled with sorrow.

In the book, Sonia Gandhi says that former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi gave them great emotional support in this difficult hour. On receiving the news, she cut short an official tour and reached the hospital. Indira Gandhi was herself grieved by the loss, and her eyes were red and swollen. She embraced them both and stayed with them for a long time, comforting them.

Rajiv Gandhi, too, was deeply shaken. He wept inconsolably along with Sonia Gandhi. The grief of losing their son was unbearable for both. Indira Gandhi's support proved important for them.

The book also mentions the child's last farewell. In keeping with the custom of the time, she was advised to immerse the newborn's body in a river. Sonia Gandhi flatly refused the suggestion. She could not accept sending her child off in that way.

After the matter was discussed several times in the family, it was finally decided to bury the child at Feroze Gandhi's farmhouse in the Mehrauli area of South Delhi. Sonia Gandhi writes that making the decision was extremely painful, but there was no other way.

Sonia and Rajiv Gandhi often visited the spot afterwards. They would pause for a while where the child was buried. They remembered their child by placing a flower near the bougainvillea plant there.

The book records many important events of her political life, along with the joys and sorrows of her personal life and memories linked to her family.