#542 - Under the Bakul Tree
by Mrinal Kalita and translated from the Assamese by Partha Pratim Goswami
“Under the Bakul Tree” by Mrinal Kalita and translated from the Assamese by Partha Pratim Goswami. Published by Penguin. A heartwarming story of the coming of age of two boys which showcases their hope, selfless friendship and determination to face the challenges of life.
Set in rural Assam, the story starts off with Ashim sitting under a Bakul tree outside his school gate. The annual examination results of ninth grade have been announced and he is apprehensive about checking them. Unsure of whether he has passed or not, he doesn’t look forward to seeing the notice board at all. There has been a downward spiral in his academic performance in the last couple of years. From being a topper and lauded by the stern Mahendra master as a jewel he is now the last in class. He has no urge to continue in school and attend tenth grade. Mahendra master is aghast at seeing Ashim’s results and slaps him. Ashim is struggling with problems of his own. He no longer has dreams or hopes of studying. He is dealing with financial difficulties at home thanks to a father who has ended up becoming a drunkard and overburdening his mother with the responsibility of running the household. He has no one with whom he can discuss his situation. To support his mother, Ashim drops out of school and starts breaking stones at a quarry.
Nirmal, a classmate of Ashim who is now the class topper is upset by the state of events. He cannot bear to see Ashim staying away from school. He wants him to come back and study like he used to. Though he has problems of his own, he selflessly tries to bring back Ashim to school. Slowly and steadily a friendship which is as pure as the Bakul flowers blooms between the two boys. When Nirmal’s efforts don’t get through, it is up to Anubhav, a new teacher in school, to bring Ashim back to school. Anubhav helps the two boys deal with their problems and challenges be it academic pressures or the traumatic experiences. Read this Bal Sahitya Puraskar award winning literary masterpiece and savour the tale of hope and friendship.
The book proved to be fascinating for me as well as my ten year old. We found the plot very engrossing and poignant. The characters will remain etched in our memories for a long time to come. The story beautifully portrays the challenges faced in rural areas, the flaws of our education system as well as the shortcomings of the government. How a family struggles to cope when a member gets addicted to a bad habit has been sensitively shown. The lack of love and support from his father affects Ashim deeply and we felt glad when Nirmal took the pains of finding out why Ashim had stopped coming to school. The Bakul tree is symbolic of a place which provides solace to Ashim whenever he seeks refuge under it. It had been planted by none other than his father himself long back. The role of a good teacher in a student’s life is invaluable. Anubhav sir’s thinking and approach played such a vital part in not just Ashim and Nirmal’s lives but all those around him. Given that the author is a professor of mathematics, he seems to have slipped in a couple of interesting mathematics questions in the story which roused the curiosity of my son. When it came to which character we liked the most, Nirmal was our unanimous choice.
Recommended Age
The book is apt for anyone aged 12 and above for self reading. However, it can be read aloud with a little bit of explanation to a slightly younger child like we did.
Disclaimer - We received this book from the publisher, Penguin India, for review. Thank you to Mansi, from Penguin, for sending across the book!