''Laal Batti'' (

Punjabi Punjabi, or Panjabi, most often refers to: * Something of, from, or related to Punjab, a region in India and Pakistan * Punjabi language * Punjabi people * Punjabi dialects and languages Punjabi may also refer to: * Punjabi (horse), a British Th ...

: ਲਾਲ ਬੱਤੀ) is a

novel written by

Baldev Singh Baldev Singh ( pa, ਬਲਦੇਵ ਸਿੰਘ, hi, बलदेव सिंह) (11 July 1902 – 29 June 1961) was an Indian Sikh political leader, he was an Indian independence movement leader and the first Defence Minister of India. Mor ...

Synopsis

The novel revolves around the red light area

Sonagachi Sonagachi is a neighbourhood in Kolkata, India, located in North Kolkata near the intersection of Jatindra Mohan Avenue (north of C.R. Avenue) with Beadon Street and Sovabazar, about one kilometer north of the Marble Palace area.} Sonagachi is ...

Kolkata Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, comme ...

and the lives of the prostitutes and other people living there. The novel is divided into several chapters and each chapter describes the cruel life and day-to-day harassment and other troubles faces by the prostitutes here. The author tried to prove that many people have wrong or unclear idea about the people living in these areas.

Publication

The author did a decade's personal study and research to write this novel. While continuing studies he had to face harassment several times. The novel was translated into several languages including Hindi, and Punjabi (Shahmukhi).

References

{{reflist Punjabi-language novels Novels set in Kolkata Novels about Indian prostitution