Beneath the Devil Tree Malabar 1921 ~ Anjana Varma (101 of 2024)

 There is so much of good in the worst of us &

So much of bad in the best of us, 

That it ill behoves any of us, 

To find fault with the rest of us. 

~ James Truslow Adams

Something bitter and choppy is bubbling beneath the surface. The Matriarch senses this and it is what she most dreads. The volcano of human emotion that has been hitherto somewhat dormant is in danger of a violent eruption. The searing lava of hatred and revenge would flow out and all that remains would be the burnt out ashes of sorrow, loss, and suffering. The Matriarch fears for her loved ones and worries about the fate of the land. Ernad, Malabar 1921. The Khilafat movement has found a firm footing and has succeeded in inciting the pride of the essentially poor and downtrodden Mappila community. The oppression meted out by the Hindu landlords and the injustice of the British government's land reforms would no longer be tolerated, the newly formed CongressKhilafat Alliance was determined. But reality is a strange aberration. The Sixth Tirumulpad, a haughty landlord, Alijan Sahib, the local Khilafat kingpin, Mammad, the young secretary, Stanley-Pat Eaton the rich planter are all caught plumb in the middle of what follows. Apart from the Matriarch herself, Benu, Sethu, Priya, Razia, Winefred Eaton, and the tribal lass, Cheenkanni all find themselves staggering as things take a turn for the worse

"What Ali Musaliar feared so much was what he himself secretly longed for. That the Khilafat Movement turn into a great roaring fire that would purge the land of the Sayippe's oppressive rule.....British government is crumbling to bits. Alijan couldn't help chuckling...It will not be long before the whole kingdom is in our hands....The way things were going, he only had to sit back and let the tide take over.  " He dreamt of being Sultan Alijan. Ali from the Yatim Khana had been good at achieving his goals, venturing, using his instincts and street smart ways to become a rich man by the age of twenty, married his sweetheart, had money and loyal manpower on his side. He craved power. He had blessings from Jawadikka, Black Brigade. 

Friday meeting is the place where they form and share opinions. Things and plans move even otherwise like the march from Tirurangadi to Nilambur. When your supporters increase and your army swell in size, the thrill would multiply and so all would be charged. 

The Malabar women did not seek vengeance but compassion. Is'nt it true of most women world over. To know what and how they do it, you need to read the book. 

Very rarely we connect and discuss with the author or writer, which gives us a greater perspective of the book. Was lucky to do that here and to connect with Anjana Varma, what she said was:

"The only ones in their true historical roles are those in the background like madhavan Nair, Collector Thomas, superintendent Hitchcock etc. Vadakkeveettil Mammad's real name and position as Ernad Khilafat Secretary and the fact that he was killed in the battle of P has been maintained but the rest of him is fictious. Mithran is modelled on Chinnanunni Thampan, the 6th Tirumulpad of Nilambur in charge of Pookottur affairs. His personal life is fiction. All we know us that there was a Rani of Nilambur who signed the Petition to Lady Reading, so Mathu is essentially mine. Sethu, Priya, Raziya are imaginary. Mr and Mrs Eaton , their names, Eatons murder etc are true. Cheenkanni is imaginary but there was a girl found dead with her womb cut open and the foetus hanging out.  Benazir is fictious but Alijan is loosely modelled on a real khilafat leader"