Announcements

Bombay after Ayodhya, by Jitendra Dixit

HarperCollins

presents

Bombay after Ayodhya
A City in Flux

by Jitendra Dixit

How India’s most iconic city changed in character, appearance and its politics after the demolition of the Babri Masjid

Along with key events and people that have shaped present-day Mumbai, Bombay after Ayodhya chronicles how the past three decades have been a period of unprecedented flux in the city.

Author Jitendra Dixit grew up in Mumbai and has reported from the city for much of the three decades he writes about.

‘Stark and gripping’
Rakesh Maria
Former Commissioner of Police, Mumbai

PB | Non-fiction | 356 pp | Rs 499

Releasing 1 December 2022
Available Wherever Books Are Sold


Author Jitendra Dixit says,
“I was inspired to write this book by authors who witnessed the advent of gun culture in Kashmir in the 1990s and wrote about how the Valley changed as a result. I see parallels between Kashmir and Mumbai. The 1990s were tumultuous for both, and I grew up witnessing bloodshed on the streets of Mumbai as a result of communal riots, gang wars and terrorist attacks. In my view, the events triggered by the demolition of Babri Masjid in Ayodhya have transformed Mumbai. This transformation has affected every aspect of the city, including its politics, underworld, police, social fabric, real estate and so on. As a resident and as a journalist, I have witnessed this transformation firsthand and this book is my attempt at documenting it.”

Swati Chopra, Associate Publisher, HarperCollins India, says, “On 6 December this year, it will be thirty years since the demolition of the Babri Masjid at Ayodhya triggered communal unrest around the country. Bombay after Ayodhya recounts not just what happened in the immediate aftermath, but also how the event caused fundamental changes in the very character of the city. It documents the three decades in which Bombay/Mumbai became and remained a ‘city in flux’. The best way I can think of to describe this book is as a biography of what is arguably India’s most dynamic, and resilient, city, through the eyes of a resident who has also been its relentless chronicler.”

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ABOUT THE BOOK

The demolition of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya on 6 December 1992 was followed by riots across India. Mumbai had always been susceptible to communal unrest, but the violence in December 1992 and then again in January 1993 was unprecedented. Two months later, in March, serial blasts rocked the city, killing over 250 and injuring 700. Communal strife was followed by gang wars, and unforeseen natural calamities ravaged the city–all of which changed Mumbai forever.

Bombay after Ayodhya chronicles how the past three decades have been a period of unexpected flux in Mumbai. In the aftermath of 1992, a split in the Mumbai underworld led to new equations in politics, which altered the demography of the city and led to the rise of new townships. After a brief lull, blasts and terrorist attacks rocked it once more in 2002, a cycle of violence that reached a crescendo with the horrific 26/11 terror attacks in 2008.

Jitendra Dixit grew up in Mumbai and has reported from the city for much of the three decades he writes about. His is a deeply felt biography of a Mumbai that has transformed from a city of mills to one of malls, where skyscrapers have multiplied, not just in number but also in height, where local trains have become longer and yet remain overcrowded, where Bollywood is headquartered and yet filmmakers face serious constraints, whose once-iconic festivals, such as Ganesh Utsav and Dahi Handi, are now heavily commercialized.

Along with key events and people that have shaped present-day Mumbai, Bombay after Ayodhya documents the change in the city’s character, from its physical appearance and civic issues, to its economy, real estate and politics.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jitendra Dixit is an author and the west India editor of the ABP Network based in Mumbai. During his childhood, he closely witnessed acts of violence associated with gang wars and experienced the horror of communal clashes. It is this experience that led him to pursue his career in journalism and specialize in covering crime and conflicts. From the 2002 Gujarat riots to the gang wars of the Mumbai underworld and the 26/11 Mumbai terrorist attacks, Dixit has reported from the ground in his career spanning two and a half decades. His documentary on the Kashmir elections 2014 won the RedInk Award. In 2011, he participated in the Combat International Organised Crime Conference, organized by the FBI in New York City, USA. His previous books are 35 Days, Bombay 3 and Valley of Red Snow. He is a bibliophile, itinerant and a certified ocean diver.

PRAISE FOR THE BOOK

‘Mumbai has been the City of Dreams for multitudinous generations. Jitendra Dixit’s book takes me down memory lane as I have been witness to many of the events enumerated therein. Jitendra’s elucidation of Mumbai is honest, stark and gripping, capturing the key events speckled on the city’s landscape. A pure-bred Mumbaikar, Jitendra is the most able and qualified to pen this treatise.’

Rakesh Maria, former commissioner of police, Mumbai

‘The first big terrorist attack in the world on a mega city happened in March 1993. The serial blasts and the two riots preceding them have changed the mayanagri (magic city) Mumbai forever. As a Bombayite and a journalist, Jitendra Dixit has closely witnessed those events that have shaped present-day Mumbai. I commend his attempt to chronicle those unprecedented events, and no one who loves Mumbai should miss reading this book.’

D. Sivanandhan, former director general of Maharashtra Police and joint director, CBI

‘Jitendra Dixit’s Bombay after Ayodhya: A City in Flux is a fascinating read of how religious matters and identities are used for electoral gains. Dixit is an ace chronicler in documenting how the quest for power makes man constantly seek to change the face of God by force.’

Rasheed Kidwai, senior journalist and author

 

‘Having lived and worked in Mumbai, it’s clear to me that the Ayodhya incident deeply affected the city. Ayodhya was not just the turning point of Indian politics but also of Mumbai. An outstanding journalist, Jitendra Dixit delves deep into this impact and the changes in my favourite city.’

Abhigyan Prakash, author and TV journalist

 

 

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For reviews, excerpts, interviews and more information, please contact Shivendra Singh at
shivendra.singh@harpercollins.co.in

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