A Review of Darogar Daftar

 

Three volumes of Darogar Daftar

Shreya Das writes a review of Darogar Daftar. 

Book: Darogar Daftar (Vol. I, II & III)

Author: Priyanath Mukhopadhyay

Publisher: Punashcha

Priyanath Mukhopadhyay was a native daroga, active during the late nineteenth century. His Darogar Daftar is his account of true police procedurals that take place in and around contemporary Calcutta. As the metropole becomes a field for experiment for the Colonial Police and Legislation, Priyanath exhibits a very unique sensibility that was largely influenced by his training under his British superiors. Priyanath’s Darogar Daftar not only entertains with its gripping narrative of catching the perpetrators but also provides a faithful testimony to the changing face of British Calcutta. In this Calcutta, the contemporary fear of the Bengali Upper- and Middle-Class towards the poor and the uneducated, seeps through their treatment of the lower-class workers and prostitutes. Being an agent of the legal system, Priyanath freely moved between different societies of the Colonial Calcutta. The busy market places of the colonial Calcutta, such as “Mechhuabaazar” (‘Chorer Gaari Chawra’), “Taltala Baazar” (Biswas Kare Kori?), “Barabaazar” (Rani na Khuni?) etc. or the red light areas of Calcutta, such as “Panchudhopanir Gali” (Sesh Leela), “Harkata Gali” (Biswas Kare Kori?), “Mathaghosha Gali” (Girijashundari) etc. – places that are more prone to violent crimes have been located by a native police officer, who knows his city well. Priyanath also chronicles the people of this city. His narratives often mention the exploitation and plight of the migrant daily wage workers (Hatyarahasya, Daye Khun) in Calcutta. In his adventures that ranged from “Sonagaji” to “Laalbazar” or “Bhawanipur” to “Belliaghata”, Priyanath locates several “mini Calcuttas” with their own unique flavours, that are often overlooked otherwise in the nostalgic rendition of the city.

Shreya Das is a PhD Scholar at the Department of English of The Sanskrit College and University. 

Email: das.shreya97@gmail.com.

Picture Courtesy: Shreya Das. 

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