The Murderers Mother

A tense sociopolitical novel exploring power, violence, and morality in 1970s India. The Murderers Mother takes readers to the late 1970s in the Indian state of West Bengal, where the Communist Partyled Left Front has just been voted into power. It tells the story of Tapan, who has been installed as a gang leader by the most powerful man in the locality in order to kill unwanted obstacles, which he does, one after another. Tapan knows there is no other way he can earn a living, but at the same time, he is desperate to protect his family. He tries to stop petty crime and assaults on women, even as he protects his patrons interests. Through the dissonance, he becomes both a feared and revered figure, but his patrons game becomes clear: now the murderer, too, must be eliminated.