Rebellion in Ranchi by Swati Sengupta
My take on the book:
July 1915, Sibu who was a Kurukh/Oraon lived with his father (Embas), mother (Ingio) and his grandmother (Enj Ajji) in the forests of Chota Nagpur. Sibu’s life revolved around playing with his neighbour and best friend Buddhu, listening to stories of his Ajji. His Ajji narrated stories of Birsa Bhagwan who fought against the British rule for the people of this region and finally laid down his life.
When Jatra Oraon gave call to Sibu’s villagers for a rebellion against the local Zamindars who with support from the British government grabbed their lands and made them work instead as labor in their lands, Sibu’s life took a drastic turn. How this rebellion changed the lives of Sibu and other Oraons of Chota Nagpur forms the rest of the story.
While history textbooks only taught us few significant incidents from the entire struggle for India’s Independence, there had been many more parallel movements that happened across the country. Most of these have never been widely shared, hence the sacrifices done by a lot of individuals have gone unnoticed and never celebrated. This story of rebellion in a remote village is an ode to such sacrifices.
The bravery and maturity that Sibu shows at such young age despite his circumstances is well portrayed by the author. The lifestyle, culture and rituals of the Oraons in early twentieth century is narrated in a detailed manner by the author. The major disadvantage for the story is the slow-moving middle parts. While the reader will wait for a major rebellion to happen, the preparation and build up takes too long, and the actual rebellion feels too less.
If you always wanted kids to read about Indian Independence movement which is relatable to them, then this book is a good one to pick.
My rating:
3.5/5.