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
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Murder in the Bylanes by Aloke Lal and Maanas Lal
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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.
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Aloke Lal
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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.
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Maanas Lal
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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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Will see you in the next post. Till then buh-bye. Take Care. Peace.
☮
