13 Years: A Naxalite’s Prison Diary

by Ramchandra Singh, Madhu Singh (Translator)

September 1970. Ramchandra Singh enters the Hardoi District Jail in Uttar Pradesh as a naxalite undertrial. Barely twenty, his life of expanding prospects—in studies, politics and love—is reduced to the horizon of a life term. The odds are stacked against the survival of his humanity and imagination, but Singh regenerates his gifts of empathy, humour, reflection and, above all, language—in a secret diary smuggled out with the help of friends.

A singular record of recent history and of individual witness, Singh’s prison diary, newly expanded, appears in English for the first time. Offering unprecedented intimacy with the everyday life of the imprisoned everyman, Singh challenges us to look without flinching and question our assumptions about crime and punishment.

Ramchandra Singh (1949–2018), of Bangarmau village in Unnao district of Uttar Pradesh, was a member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) Red Star, and served on its Central Committee. He was part of the editorial board of Red Star Monthly (Hindi). He passed away when this book was in press.

‘A coming-of-age story of a revolutionary driven to move his world towards justice and equality’—Angela Davis, in her Foreword

‘This smuggled-out account exposes the bosom of the Gulag that India has become’—Anand Teltumbde

Genres: India, History, Memoir

208 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 2018

Reviews

[Conrad Barwa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Translated from the Hindi edition that was serialised in 1984, this is a harrowing account that lays bare the savage nature of life in Indian prisons. The author spent 13 years, due to being part of a Naxalite hit squad which assassinated an oppressive local landlord in eastern Uttar Pradesh; and as a consequence spent 13 years being shuffled around the Indian penal system before being finally released. A grim read on the torture and abuse suffered by prisoners at the time in northern Indian prisons. Little has changed, though public scrutiny is greater now.

[Sourav · Rating 4 out of 5]

For a layman, this can be an entry to the world of Indian Prisons.

Ramchandra Singh never dramatizes but describes his pain in a matter of fact tone which will make you reflect longer than you'd expect.

He touches upon issues like caste in prisons, sexual abuse there, change in family dynamics , and how prisons meant for reform.are failing because of the bourgeois and the over- the- top class interest, among others.


A 3.5 for me and .5 more because of the beautiful cover which is coarse in the centre like Ramachandra's life in 5 different prisons and smooth in the edges, maybe like his dreams and ideals. In between there are smooth colourful patches of flowers which describe passion, love and friendship in his life. That's just my interpretation, but I loved the cover.

[Anshika Jain]

really makes you wonder if corruption can actually be annhilated from the system, especially when you read about rapists being granted bail and students being denied bail because they dared to actually question the government. also, colonial hangover khoon mein hai system ke. shayad hi kabhi mitega.

[Fiza Pathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

'13 Years: A Naxalite's Prison Diary' was an educative read as well as very informative about how political prisoners are treated in India's jails. It gives a brief understanding of a Naxalite's point of view which is very important for people who are not familiar with the issue of the Naxalbari Movement or Uprising. The presentation as well as the editing of the book was excellent. It's a very important book for our times. As I've said before, Navayana is publishing some of the bravest books that is coming to our bookstores. Support Navayana Publishing & support this book, read it with discernment. '13 Years: A Naxalite's Prison Diary' gets four stars from me.

[Naina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Why did a radical publishing house like Navayana not find it problematic to not only normalise but entirely romanticize the grooming of a girl in her early teens?

Other than that, an incredibly important read and a superbly seamless translation.

It pains me to only give it 3 stars because I really wanted to love this book but I'm personally quite exhausted with grooming being so often glossed over as a side-quest.

There is also something to be said for the implications of the phrase "unnatural sex" to describe consensual homosexuality.