Book Review- ‘Madam Sir’ by Manjari Jaruhar, IPS (retd)

 Book Review- ‘Madam Sir’ by Manjari Jaruhar, IPS (retd)

Title: Madam Sir

Author: Manjari Jaruhar IPS, retd.

Publisher: Penguin 

Pages 237

Manjari Jaruhar’s book, ‘Madam Sir’ is a story of triumph despite many setbacks both on the personal and professional fronts. It is a stirring memoir where the author’s quiet strength of conviction shines through. The exemplary quality of head and heart which the book is steeped in wins the reader over without any effort. It is both heart-warming and poignant  as she narrates, ‘frankly and honestly’. 

If there is one element that connects the reader to the extremely engaging narrative, it is the authenticity of the voice that narrates. Jaruhar is able to imbue her life story of ordinary and extraordinary events into a narrative that is clear and matter of fact. She does not set herself up to be impressive at all. She allows us a look into how she grew up in a typical middle class but scholarly family of Bihar without having any real ambition in life. She was made to go to a convent school in Patna and brought up to be able marry well into a higher placed family. Imagine a well-placed family bringing up three delicate daughters as eligible matches in the marriage market! In retrospect she marvels at how decidedly submissive she had been in those years to her family’s inherent wish to settle their girls well. 

But a serious, shattering setback in her life makes her transition into a woman who claims her agency and refuses to let go of it ever! She decides to come to Delhi and prepare for the civil services exam. For a girl who had been groomed to be an ideal wife, she takes her life by the horns to slog and qualify for a career, refusing to return to the cocoon like family which wants her to go back. After qualifying for the Indian Police Service (IPS) she recounts in great detail the hardships she had to undergo to measure up to the physical fitness regimen required for the job. While her body was breaking under the stress and rigour of training, her steely resolve remained intact. She was determined to live life on her own terms!

The next phase of her life when she is posted to Bihar as an IPS officer reveals the deep patriarchal society she is up against which abhors women in uniform and authority. Her travails under her first boss who dismisses her as more of a liability because of her being a woman is a recurring theme as she has to work doubly hard to prove herself. Of course her determination wins the day as the then Chief Minister Lalu Yadav and later Police Commissioner Julio Rebeiro repose immense faith in her to handle sensitive and difficult job profiles. Jaruhar mentions some of the prominent cases she had to deal with in her illustrious career. Of special interest is Operation Gangajal about which film maker Prakash Jha had later on made into a film by the same name.

I would recommend the book as being a motivational story for all concerned. It would be beneficial to college students to read such first hand accounts of a lady who had the courage of her convictions in the face of  immense challenges. The book is also a master class on how an author can connect with her readers by an honest narration that leaves a lasting impression on the mind and the heart!

I would give it 4 out 5 stars

This is part of #BlogchatterHalfMarathon 2024

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