Lalmati was serially published in  Chaitra, 1358 (Bengali calender) in the ‘Bharatborsho’Patrika and was later published as a book in Sharabon 1360 (Bengali year), that is in the year 1953. The main issues of the novel are the clash between Zamindar and his subjects, the Hindu-Muslim political rift in the context of congress-Muslim League-Communist party. The Hindus and Muslims finally get unified in a mass movement in fighting against the exploiter and they secure victory for a certain period. In doing so the author has uniquely fused conscious and independent reflection of the past through appropriate use of language. This has provided the novel with a different sense of the past. Even before the beginning of first chapter, there is an independent piece named 'Kathamukh' which not only provides a link between the novel and the outside world but also works as a keynote thereby relating it with the novel as well.  
In Kothamukh, the author nostalgically narrates the glorious and prosperous past of civilisation in Barendrabhumi. The author narrates that Barendrabhumi’s dead field is like a dead river’s dry river bed. It is to be noted that this metaphor anticipates the future flash flood and rebellion, which is symbolised by the flash flood of river named Malini that occurs towards the end of the novel. The recreation of past is not exclusive in the Kothamukh section; the section also shows the glorious past. The narrative tells us the rise of a high ranking employee of Pala Empire named Divya of Kaibartya community towards the end of the 11th century against King Mahipal the second who was hard-hearted, lecherous drunkard and exploiter and oppressive, this is known as the Kaivartya rebellion. This rebellion was not limited to a particular community and became a symbol of rebellion for all working class people irrespective of race and creed. The soil of Barendra still bears the mark of this history. Despite being shattered, Bhima’s Jangal(a bridge like structure) still exists, despite the decay of time there still remains Divya’s Dighi’s victory stand, and Rukunpur's huge Diptastambha.  It is through this symbolism that the author has been able to perpetuate the past through the present. In the present Bhairavnath is the symbolical incarnation of Mahipala the second or Fateh shah Pathan. On the other hand the fishermen Muslim community of Dhawa, peasant community of Santhal, milk community of Ahir symbolically positioned like the Kaibartya community.  All these three communities form a strong alliance eroding the boundaries of caste and religion.  The section Kothamukh anticipates the rise of this rebellion by referring to the flame of a candle and a flag. It is the people who will host this flag are sleeping somewhere, but they are coming to fulfil their destiny. It is mentioned that this will inspire the people to rise like a storm and lighting in the night. It mentions that Lalmati seemed like a ferocious long haired tantrik with traditional marks on forehead. The Danra (Kumarhati’s Danra) became a centrepiece from which the rebellion started. It was no symbolical weapon like thunder, but with real weapon shining in the hands of their representative Jamuna Ahira. It was not just lightning that roared but the war cry of Jamuna as well. The text mentions that it seemed that from the red soil of Barendra history rose up in angry rebellion.  The author narrates that history itself rose up from the red soil of Barendra, the santhals rose up in rebellion, the victory stand of Divya shook the earth, and a huge explosion shattered everything, the top of palm trees swayed like a ‘Jhanda’ (Jhanda refers to flag, and this reminds us of the Marxist red flags). From the shadow of darkness came forward the leader Divya with the sword of lightning and this heralded the rebirth of Kaivartya rebellion. In this way through the language of the Kothamukh section the novelist has fused elements of the past-present-future. The novelist successfully amalgamates physical nature with a sense of the historical past in enlivening the events of the present. The sense of the rebellious past emboldens and inspires the downtrodden people to reclaim their position. 
The entire novel narrates the gradual uprising of exploited people and the gradually decline of the ruling exploiter class. The santhals learned to hunt wild boars, the Ahiras learnt to stand their grounds firmly, though thetestament of their strength is symbolized with the very often used proverb of ‘iron’, but their return to strength has lent a degree of seriousness in it. The text narrates them in a spectacular fashion – their chests as broad as the door panel, ribs made of iron, figure like a long stick, joints wired with brass wires. Their bodies are strong as iron and merciless- their vengeance is ferocious.  The author has described the rebellion in terms of Jhumri- “the new Indraprastha’s new Panchali…Jatadhar Singh is the next sacrifice of Kuru regime.” The Badiya Muslims and Dhawarat have gradually started opening up against the Zamindari of Fateh Shah. The Zamindars sensing this discontent of the subjects have feared them and have tried to brutally oppress them. But when they did not succeed, they wanted to remove the intellectual leadership of the people. On the other hand in Kalapukhuri under the leadership of Sonai Mondal the soft hearted people also hardened their stance and organised a Panchayat under the leadership of Ranjan. The flickering light of the small home lamp transformed into thebright light of the Masal (torch lighted on a stick) which represents hope. The absence of Ranjan felt like the light of the torch would go out but the rays of hope always returned back. Kumar Bhairav had said that it seemed as if there is a general tendency to light fire everywhere. Seeing the falsified exaggerated narratives of intoxicated ancestors of Bhairavnarayan, Ranjan had said that the rottenness has set in from within, and the ages long stories built on defeat of people have now been revealed- the seat that they had so far deemed to be worthy of ruling had by now shown signs of a deep rupture like that of a volcanic crater precipitated by some rebellious uproar. This signified the rebellion and this sign the reader could easily decipher. Ranjan says that maybe Mahipal the second standing on the top most point of Palburuj saw the flaming torches of Divya as a sign of the coming rebellion. Ranjan has also spoken about the cruel Zamindars and their decadence. He had compared them to bats living in their mansions. These bat like zamindars have exploited the poor by draining their blood and are constantly vigilant in their mansions. In this description the author had assimilated gothic elements from western literature pertaining to the stories of vampires and Dracula. Ranjan had further added that the legacy of these zamindars and their cruelty still loomed large over the psyche of the people. It is as if their ghostly presence still incited fear amongst people and this he believed needed to be broken. Looking at the sunrise he thought their ghostly metaphysical presence is slowly waning. A completely different philosophical idea is represented when Ranjan talks about the letter from his comrade girlfriend Mita. He ponders that the envelope of the letter is no longer blue since dust has covered the entire landscape and blue signifies hope and all struggle to go through the dust storms of despair is in fact in the search of true hope signified by the blueness of the sky.  Sometimes looking at the stars in the night sky Ranjan wonders whether this is sign of the fire of rebellion. they seem like scores of men are coming with torches in their hands. The river Malini, on the other hand appears bloody owing to Alimuddin’s dream of ideal Pakistan. The green Islamic flag shines brightly. He believes that common people themselves would carry those Islamic flags. He compares the waters of the river in moonlight with human tears. This flag cannot be desecrated under the boots of the Shah. However this oath and hope is not an easy one. The ideal that Ranjan and Alimuddin strive for often finds many obstacles and ambiguities. While talking to the people about their life and death struggle Ranjan himself indulges in self- examination and contemplation. Ranjan feels the need to gauge reality along with the fanciful dreams of his ideology. He wonders whether the cruel waves of reality would destroy all hope and whether he would be able to stand his ground or not. He wonders whether he would be swept away by this massive wave of reality. We see Alimuddin facing the same type of dilemma regarding his ideology of creating Pakistan and the complexity of its actual implementation. After coming to know of the harsh ground realities from Elahi Baksh and Dhawad, Alimuddin’s dreams are hurt badly. He didn’t dream of such a nation. Alimuddin realised that simple ideological fantasies and dreams would not suffice and he had to think and conceive of a larger form of revolution. Here the author has shown the farming aspect of Hindu-Muslim population as one of the most vital and defining factors of their culture. What was initially thought of as simple turned out be quite complex. He thought that just like in farming and cultivation a lot of hard work is required to get the results of their goal of forming Pakistan. It’s a poor man’s world. After this we see the rebellious speech of Alimuddin in the next session of Muslim League. We see this type of rebelliousness in Ranjan as well. He says that people have to build not only their mind but also strengthen their bodies through hard labour in the fields and this is the legacy of culture of Barendra. Ranjan is like a coconut tree, and that is what the author has tried to imagine. The entire narrative of the novel is based on this metaphor and ideology of Ranjan. 
The novel depicts the oncoming rebellion through the imaginative pictorial descriptions of the special geographical location of the Turis and the river Malini. Their landscape is shown as generally plain and comprises of vegetation and is largely peaceful. The Turi people are peace loving and this is shown through the depiction of their daily life. For example it is mentioned that they go so early to bed that their lamps go out even before the stars light up the night sky. The pictorial description of this kind is emblematic of the representation of the dormant rebelliousness of the people. These people are satisfied with whatever they have despite the fact that they have very little. The author’s splendid and noteworthy description of the clouds throughout the expanse of the sky and that cover the paddy fields mentionable here. When the novelist describes the rise of the rebellious attitude of the people he uses the metaphor of the day and the night. This symbolises both hope and despair. The river Malini has also played an important role in the narrative of the novel. On one hand this river symbolises the hope of both Ranjan and Alimuddin’s ideologies, on the other hand the river also causes damage through floods and this resulted in the project to build a dam on the river. Firstly we see this river through the eyes of Ranjan. On one side of the river bank is forest whereas on the side there is the treasury of Kumar Bhairav. On one hand there the natural outgrowth of nature on the other we have the symbol of oppression. The writer often refers to the river while depicting the psychology of Ranjan. For instance, when Ranjan thinks of the coming destruction of black magic or Pisach tantra, he looks out of the window and could see the reflection of the rising red sun in the flowing waters of the river. The river water looks a train of fire. Although this river flows like a blunt knife (the reference to blunt knife is noteworthy), during rainy season it is in a completely different avatar. The river with its flowing waters takes different shapes and this symbolises its own freedom, as it moves on its own. This in many ways corresponds to the rebelliousness of common men in the novel as well.  
The image of the snake has been utilised by the novelist in many ways in the novel. The important character of Kalosashi is also based on the image of the snake. In the narrative we see the representation of Santhal fisherman Tulku Majhir son Dhiruma and it is referred that the son of a snake is also a snake (a popular adage in Bengali states the similarity of the father and the son which is referred to using the metaphor of venomous snake). The author narrates that the men who have been exploited through the ages by the cruel zamindars are like venomous snakes and in this regard their venom serves as a metaphor for the dormant but inherent rebelliousness. It is as if they are getting ready slowly preserving their venom within them. It is the circumstances that have bogged them down so far. The author mentions the lawyer of Mukundopur and his tendency to intoxicate himself with snake poison. The authors describes that if there is any snake whose venom can produce everlasting intoxication, indeed there is a kind, the kind that lazily rests on the sidewalks of the paddy fields and at the slightest noise of footsteps afar rushes into the fields and is lost in the greenery. The narrator wonder for how long they will fear the shadows of approaching footsteps, for how long will they remain hidden, for how long will they remain timid.  Both Ranjan and Alimuddin wonder over this thought thinking about the oppressed people. For how long these venomous snakes can be kept in the shadows of boots of Zamindars. Their contemplation indicates the coming rebellion of the people. Jhumri has been compared to the beauty of the Chandrobora snake. Sometimes Ranjan sympathy has been represented through the image of the of river Malini as a golden python snake.  Sometimes Alimuddi’s feeling regarding Raziya is represented through the depiction of a baby snakes bite. Likewise Fateh shah feels the sting of a snake bite when Alimuddin and Ranjan are united. When Bandini Jhumri is about to be raped by the Saheb, the reflection of a repulsive monster emerges from her eyes in the guise of the dead mother, but the monster is suddenly bitten by a snake and this leaves an everlasting impact on his morality. The zamindars like Bidhyupad Hazra are like the timid non venomous snakes who try to reveal themselves sometimes, but coil back like a centipede. The character of Kalosashi has been compared with legend of Nagini because of her fierceness, mystery and her characteristic trickery. She says she will not bite repeatedly but will finish the job in one single bite. This poses an important question in front of us- that is Kalosashi manipulator or manipulated? We can see in this novel that the images of coconut tree, fire, colour red symbolising the rebellion and self-empowerment. This gives the novel Lalmati its uniqueness and helps it to transcend the limits of time place and context.  
The language and representation of the novel is poetic and has a metrical quality of its own. The different images and metaphors in the novel like that of the black jaguar, the river Malini as a golden python, or the image of the tip of the grass as green fire has the given a unique touch to the narrative of the novel. The metaphors like comparing the foam of the river with white ‘chapa’ flowers, comparing Kalosashi with the legendary folktale snake goddess Manasa (Phani Manasa is a popular legend in Bengali culture) wrapped in beautiful flowers like Madhabilata, or to describe the rusted part of Carrrow saheb’s Brazilian mirror as a result of the season of spring (Basanta), the destruction of Reshom Kuthi after the death of Carrow sahib symbolising years of exploitation has been compared with the mythical Agnisodhon. Many such depictions mesmerises the reader of the novel.  
A student of Narayan Gangopadhyay named Shivshambhu Pal writes in the article “Ami, Amra, City College (Ebong Narayan Gangopadhyay)” that his narrative has a lyrical quality that sometimes flows like the train line, sometimes it is straight and parallel whereas at other times it mingles and unifies elements within the narrative.[4]  This can be felt while reading the novel. At the same time the use of humour by the creator of the famous Tenida character is interspersed with the narrative. Sometimes the humour makes us laugh, whereas sometimes it is delivered with a taste of sarcasm and criticism. The author uses humour while depicting the countenance of the cruel exploiter of people Bhairav Narayan as seen by Ranjan. Bhairavnarayan is described as a man having a face which is at least one and half times larger than any other human being, his skin tone is fair with reddish tinge, and his protruding teeth from his thick lips are a sight to behold. He looks like a bull whose horns would suddenly emerge and who would rush to attack someone with his horns. There are many instances of humour within the text- for example the epic war between the flies owing to their noble intention to capture Bhairav’s nose while he is asleep, the funny instance when a piece of banana is lost in Carrow’s pocket when he learns of Albert’s a arrival, and the reappearance of the lost banana when he tries to put a handkerchief in his pocket is indeed humorous. Similarly, the description of the appearance of the police officer Taran Talapatra and the sight of the police fleeing with bulls running after them is indeed hilarious and this shows the writers wit and intellect.  
The novel ends with the successful completion of the dam by the common people who came together disregarding their religion, caste or creed owing to the efforts of Alimuddin. There is a separate independent section towards the end of the novel- there he has given respect to the motherhood as a representative of the working class people. The novelist had dedicated the novel to his mother whom he lost in his childhood. It is as if his own mother is represented in his motherland that is Lalmati. The sons of the soil of Lalmati have always strived to return the glory of their motherland.  The narrative depicts their struggle as if they would write history with their swords which are burning. It is after all their soil their nation. It is with their blood and sweat that they reclaim their motherland- their Lalmati. It is apt to conclude with Srikumar Bandopadhyay‟s description of the novel where he says that the tone of the author has given a sense of genuine love for the land- in many ways it the novel is a respectful prayer to his motherland. It fuses and unifies the glorious past with the hopeful present. The brightness of his writing is like a flashing sword which makes his poetic novel a masterpiece.[5]