Ex-Punjab DGP P Lal turns writer; Haryana Guv releases two of his books

Published on: 15 Oct 2025 at 10:54 AM

Published by: Fact News

PS Walia

Fact News Service

Chandigarh Oct 15: Former DGP Punjab P Lal, who also remained SSP Kapurthala in 1980s and DIG CBI Chandigarh, has turned a writer and an author. He has written nine books and contributed 124 articles to various newspapers.
Today, Haryana Governor Prof. Ashim Kumar Ghosh released his 8th and 9th books at the Raj Bhawan in Chandigarh on October 14 in a simple ceremony. The books are titled : ” HAPPINESS, POSITIVITY AND SUCCESS ” , and ” Condensed Version of Valmiki Ramayana in English Prose” . The Forewords have been written respectively by Dr. Jagat Ram, world renowned Ophthalmologist and former Director, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research ( PGIMER) Chandigarh, and Justice Ajay Kumar Mittal, former Chief Justice, Madhya Pradesh High Court, who has also remained posted as Chief Justice, Meghalaya High Court and Acting Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court, besides having been a Judge of the latter High Court.

The book on Happiness, Positivity and Success lays stress on maintaining balance and harmony; it declares, based on scientific studies, that happiness and positivity are ” heritable” , even up to fifty percent. However, own efforts and life circumstances play a significant role in mediating both.
The duality of emotions has been particularly brought out in the book ; it has been explained that six basic human emotions exist in pairs , one of which is the pair of happiness and sorrow; without the one , the other in the pair would have no meaning ; and both are cyclic.
Author has also distinguished the hedonic ( pleasure-centric and hence, temporary) happiness from the eudaimonic ( altruistic and hence, longer lasting). He has argued that both are important for a meaningful life.
Author has pointed out that without reasonably good health, happiness, positivity or success cannot be cultivated to the fullest extent. Hence, he has alluded to certain important aspects of maintaining good health , laying stress on ancient Indian concepts of Aahaar ( food), Aachaar( conduct ) and Vichaar ( thoughts).
To many , it may appear to be in a lighter vein but the author is serious in asserting , based on scientific studies, that slightly overweight people , besides having greater reserves to fight illnesses, tend to be happier!
Mediation and Yoga , which are purely Indian concepts, find a special mention in the book. These two have been explained in an easy-to-understand language, while at the same time ,giving reference to Patanjali’s eightfold path of yoga, or Ashtanga Yoga. Patanjali was an ancient Indian sage who compiled , among other works, the Yog Sutras.
The author has referred to a number of Sanskrit verses of yore which illumine how happiness and positivity can be developed , and success achieved.
Feelgood hormones, drug-induced happiness and people who achieved success despite challenges, physical and otherwise, have also been discussed adroitly in the book.
Personality types A and B would interest most of the readers, who may rush to find out which type they belong to, and then make efforts to get over negative traits or at least , to minimise their adverse effects.
In the end, he has given a recipe- 65 of them- to be followed and practised , for leading a balanced, happy and meaningful life with a positive outlook, and good chances of achieving success in one’s chosen field.
The other book ” Condensed Version of Valmiki Ramayana ” is a laudable effort by the author to present to the English knowing readers a glimpse of this ancient Indian epic whose antiquity is not known for certain , but which is believed to have been composed by sage Valmiki around 500 BCE. The original text is in Sanskrit verses and is voluminous- 24,000 verses as per the text itself. Not many would have read the original text , nor its English translations which are available. Thus, there remains a mystery about this ancient text by Valmiki. The author, P. Lal, has condensed it in around 258 pages in English prose , and thus made available an opportunity to the English knowing readers to get acquainted with it. The language used by the author in condensing the text is simple but effective and elegant.
Lal had authored seven books previously , the last one titled ” Historicity and Divinity of Shri Ram-Struggle to Reclaim Ramjanmabhoomi ” ( 2024, Mohindra Publishing House) generating much curiosity as he claimed in it that Hindu God Ram was born 18, 160,164 years ago , reckoned from 2024 backwards. That was the time when, according to modern Science, present-day humans ( Homo sapiens) had not even evolved. But the author tried to meet with this challenge effectively in the book.
His other important books , besides the one on the Historicity & Divinity of Shri Ram etc. alluded to earlier, , include ” Hindu, Hinduism and Hindutva- Bharat a Sanatana Rashtra ( 2023), River Saraswati and the Aryans ( 2022) , Gift of Life ( 2021), From the Pen of a Cop( 2020) and SAMM ( Stories, Anecdotes and Motivational Messages) ( 2020).