THE SECRETS OF MY UNIVERSE: Father-son Writing Duo Traces the Intricacy of Kanpur's Communal Violence Following Babri Masjid Demolition

Friday, June 24, 2022

Father-son Writing Duo Traces the Intricacy of Kanpur's Communal Violence Following Babri Masjid Demolition

Book Review by Dhiraj Sindhi

Murder in the Bylanes: Life and Death in Divided City by Aloke Lal and Maanas Lal

Murder in the Bylanes by Aloke Lal and Maanas Lal

Authors: Aloke Lal and Maanas Lal

ISBN: 978-9354352393

Genre: Non-Fiction, True Accounts, Professional Memoir

Length: 182 Pages

Publication Date: 10 February 2022

Publisher: Bloomsbury India

Cover Designer: Haitenlo Semy | Featured in Verve

Order your copy right now: https://amzn.to/3blR5r4

About the author:

Aloke Lal is a former Indian Police Service officer whose exploits have won him accolades from many quarters, including two medals awarded by the President of India: one for 'Long and Meritorious Services' and the other for 'Distinguished Services'. In his long and industrious career, he helmed challenging assignments in the crime-infested belts of Kanpur, Lucknow, Shahjahanpur, Pilibhit and Moradabad, and rose to the top rank of Director-General of Police. He is the bestselling author of The Barabanki Narcos: Busting India's Most Notorious Drug Cartel.

Aloke Lal

Maanas Lal is a prolific writer with hundreds of published articles to his credit. His writings range from fiction and social satire to changing trends in national politics. He is also an award-winning artist whose exhibitions of photography, painting and digital art have made waves across the art world. His repertoire as an artist includes numerous book covers and illustrations, and his soft skills and art workshops are a regular feature in India's leading schools and professional institutions.

Maanas Lal

Instagram: @maanas_lal @alokeblal

Twitter: @maanas_lal @alokelal

Disclaimer: This is not a review, it is only intended for initiating discussions. The opinions and views presented in this article are my own and do not reflect anything about the book's author.

"I finished reading this book two weeks ago. And I'm starting to forget the details. There's so much going on around me; too distracted to pen down a proper review. So, I'm trying to make amends for this delay with this short review."

REVIEW

I can definitely say that these 176 pages couldn't be more relatable, considering what our country's been witnessing more often these days—communal riots to be precise. This book draws attention to the crucial role of the police force, and how Aloke Lal made a huge difference as the DIG of Kanpur Range during 1993-1994 following the Babri masjid demolition. He flipped aside the prevalent biased notions and lived up to the title conferred on him with his uninfluenced approach.

From the origination of the Ganga in the Hindu scriptures to the most recent (2019) verdict on the murder case, Murder in the Bylanes brings to your desk all the information that a reader needs to comprehend the turn of events, backed by first-hand experience and account by Aloke Lal, insights into political, cultural, geographical, economical, industrial, demographical, social factors, facts, reports, and studies pertaining Kanpur's history.

More often than not, such instances of violence (riots) are orchestrated. The pages of this book intellectually and optimistically trace the intricacy of these conflicts surfacing from a clandestine backdrop by investigating many angles of the murder case while also containing the aftermath of the triggering event where political parties, local gangs, and the influential figures gather to put up a show—a complete mockery of the electoral system, pushing their agendas against each other, the collision creating ripples of rigid cognition in the populace; the result? A sea of difference that cannot be swum.

To tackle this, the writing duo of the father and son remarks and I agree—political leadership must be "capable of an unbiased appreciation of situations", which will pave a path for the police force and local administration that can make unprejudiced decisions and take actions independent of "vested interests like political parties". We may have been conditioned to believe that it's impossible, but upright and sincere IPS officers like Aloke Lal are the living examples who have made this possible and we should be thankful to the authors for reminding us—in a very particular context as the blurb suggests, 'the violent killing of a local politician and slumlord, Kala Bachcha, a study in contradiction'—that we must learn from the history, or else, this cycle will never end. To have deeper insight and detailed remarks on this subject, pick up 'Murder in the Bylanes'.

Happy Reading!

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