The American Champa Tree (Book Review By Sandra Roy)
"THE ARMENIAN CHAMPA TREE" is written by Mahasweta Devi, an Indian social activist and writer . She is belonging to a literary family. Her father was a well known poet and novelist.Her mother was also a writer and a social worker.
This is a sensitive and attractive story especially for young readers,for whom over the years Mahasweta Devi has written extensively.She used her considerable experience of verbal history and grass root realities to create stories which educates future adults about an India very few of them would otherwise know of.
This is the story of a ten year old young Buno tribal boy named Mato. He is a pain to his mother. because he doesn't do any useful things that Buno boys are meant to do. And he spend all his time simply daydreaming.He is completely dedicated to his pet baby goat , Arjun. At that time their place was facing huge famine. Then their comes a saint . Actually he was not a real saint. since the people are very orthodox and superstitious,he tried to cheat them.He demanded that Mato's goat should be sacrificed to the goddess Kali,to get rain .And he prescribes a date for sacrificing .It should be done before the prescribed date otherwise they will be punished with flood. Hearing this Mato runs away with Arjun in a desperate bid to reach the refuge of the Armenian church. They were followed by the whole village . Mato and his goat wrestle to fence the arrest and reach safety. The villagers didn't get them.The prescribed date has already passed. No flood came and the villagers understood the saint was cheating them.
This is a short and simple story tat can be read in one hour.Te writer follows a simple language that can be easily understood. We will be definitely tempted to read Mahasweta's other books ,if we read her Champa Tree.This is such an interesting novella. Through this story Mahasweta Devi unmasks the system in which religion utilizes superstition for its own needs.
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