A Brewing Rebellion And An Inquisitive Boy [Review]

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Title: Rebellion in Ranchi (Songs of Freedom series)
Author: Swati Sengupta
Type: Paperback
Length: 114 pages
Publisher: Duckbill  (an imprint of Penguin Random House)
Age group: 10 years+

In keeping with the theme of Duckbill’s “Songs of Freedom” series, this book, set in the year 1915, takes us into the life of a young boy from Chota Nagpur. Sibu lives in Chingri village and belongs to a poor family of the Kurukh tribe, one of the Adivasis of the Chota Nagpur region. He, and his friend Budhu, find themselves in the thick of a brewing rebellion when their fathers bring them along to a meeting. Their parents are becoming part the Tana Bhagats, whose aim it is to rid the Kurukhs of all things bad and ultimately reclaim the Adivasi forest lands that have been usurped by landlords with the help of the British. They find out that their parents are sheltering active members of the group who are on the run from the authorities. Suddenly, rebellion, war, German Baba, and Jatra Bhagat become buzz words in their homes. Jatra Bhagat is the leader of the Tana Bhagats, who opens up Sibu’s world with stories of past rebellions in India and the news of current happenings affecting India, especially the Great War. Sibu tries to make sense of all the contradictory information he gets – from the Tana Bhagats, from Budhu, and from his grandmother.

A few meetings and cleansing rituals later, the Tana Bhagats organise a march to the zamindar’s bungalow and stage a protest against the landlords and the rents they collect from farmers. The protest turns dark as the bungalow security guards use force against the protestors, leading to grave injury to a man. Sibu, a part of the protest group, discovers an inner strength that gives him the courage to stand strong and not bow down before the guns of the bungalow security, leaving everyone in surprise and admiration.

Their lives change post the protest. All the men in their clearing leave their homes to go into hiding, because they know the police would be looking to arrest them. Budhu’s father alone stays back, and as expected, the police take him away the next day. After a few days, when Sibu’s father comes back in the cover of the night, it is to tell Sibu, his mother Ingio, and his grandmother Eng Ajji, that they were all to run away from their home and search for work. Sibu is heartbroken to leave Budhu, but has no choice but to leave. They travel along with two other Tana Bhagats on foot, by trains, and in dismal conditions to reach a tea estate near Jalpaiguri where a couple of the Tana Bhagats have made arrangements for them.

The story then describes the turns Sibu’s life takes after reaching the tea estate. Will his father find work? Will their lives finally take a turn for the better? Does the Tana Bhagat movement survive? What happens to Sibu’s friends and their families? Will Sibu ever meet any of them again, especially Budhu?

The author has filled the book with insights on how, as it travels, news changes according to a place and its people and culture. For example, Hitler becomes “German Baba”, the saviour who would come to free the Kurukhs from the British atrocities, for the simple reason that “the enemy’s enemy is a friend”. There is joy when Hitler-led Germans win a battle in The Great War, and gloom when the British seem to be winning the war. The author’s views on the inner workings of a rebellion are eye-opening too. I had many “aha” moments throughout the book, as I related what I have known for years about India’s freedom fight, to something I read in this book, and then something clicked and I understood why something happened the way it happened.

Sibu is an inquisitive boy, thirsty to know everything that anyone can tell him. His irritability at his lack of education is very evident in the book. As he learns more and more about the events happening around the world, he also feels increasingly handicapped by his inability to read. He hugely admires people who have had an education and can read newspapers. Through this narrative, we also understand how difficult it was to unite India, when illiterate people formed the majority, in the fight for independence.

My favourite character from the book is Sibu’s grandmother, Eng Ajji. She is sassy, clever, and the wisest of all around her. Her understanding of the things happening around her, her awareness despite being illiterate, and the pieces of advice she gives Sibu are all a result of “keeping her eyes and ears open”! Despite her age, she is not afraid of change. When Sibu is confused about how to react to mutually conflicting pieces of news about German Baba, with some making him a demigod and some deeming him worse than the British, it is her words that give Sibu a sense of meaning in the chaos – every story has many sides, and many stories within itself. They keep evolving and one must be fast and clever to discern their meaning properly before they change and vanish.

The book has made for a compelling and revelatory read, as it will for history enthusiasts of all ages. If you enjoyed this review and wish to buy the book from Amazon (kbc affiliate link),

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You can read the reviews of The Chowpatty Cooking Club , That Year at Manikoil , A Melody in Mysore and others in this series on this website. You can also explore the other newly released books in the Songs of Freedom series here.

Disclaimer: Kimeera is a part of the #kbcReviewerSquad and received this book as a review copy from the publisher via kbc.