‘A time of chaos and delusion’: Zeenath Khan on her YA novel set during the annexation of Hyderabad

Police Action in Hyderabad (1948) , officially known as Operation Polo, was a swift Indian military operation launched by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s government to annex the princely state of Hyderabad. Lasting just five days, it ended the Nizam’s rule and formally integrated the state into the Indian Union.

Though largely forgotten for decades, the episode has recently drawn renewed attention from historians, writers, and political commentators. Among these efforts, Zeenath Khan’s debut novel, The Sirens of September , stands out as one of the first major works of fiction set in this turbulent period, offering readers a poignant, deeply researched portrayal of modern Hyderabad’s most defining moment.

Khan spent nearly eight years on the book, combining meticulous historical r