HYDERABAD: The Telugu translation of ‘Is It Police? Confessions of a Top Cop’, a novel written by Vinoy Kumar Singh, director-general (prisons) of Telangana, was released at a function held here on Thursday.
In his book written in English that was released last year, Singh, a senior IPS officer, unfolds the dark side of the police department, through his experience of working in the field for over 23 years.
Singh insisted that he was pressurised by the citizens of the state to bring out the Telugu version of his book. “Almost 80 pc of the people in prison today come from uneducated and poor families and this book is targeted towards them and not for the police. Hence the translated version,” he said.
Speaking more about his book, he said that he planned to hold book release functions in rural areas of the state as well. “Police are supposed to protect the people. However, it is unfortunate that in our state, most of the times, police are pro- establishment and are rarely bothered about the general public. It is only when the citizens fight for their rights and stand up to the police that we can bring about change in the institution,” he explained.
A Laxmipathi, writer and critic, who translated the book into Telugu, said that translating a book with such a message was a challenging task. “I have translated several books including children’s novels. But this one proved tough,” he remarked. “When I first spoke to Vinoy Kumar about the translation, he asked me to do it without missing the core message.”
The book was released by Tulsiram, who inspired the author to publish the translated version and sponsored by Abhipraay Welfare Society, an NGO. It will be available at major bookstalls in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.