Mirrors of Violence

Publisher: Picador

Price: Rs 499

Pages 217

Is it true: ‘Spare the Rod and Spoil the child?’ Is it not truer ‘Use the rod and spoil the child?’ Meaning — use the rod too much and spoil the childhood of a child? It can be convincingly argued that children need discipline,control,and need to adhere to some rules to develop into responsible citizens. Opinions might differ about how much or to what extent the control should be exercised or the kind of rules to be laid down. But it is certain that children most of all need affectionate care to develop into healthy human beings. It is an unquestionable truth that love is the source of sustenance for all children. Loving does not necessarily encompass spoiling. Attention to a child’s needs,guiding him along the right track is the obligation and duty of parents and teachers.

This is what The Skinning Tree is about. It does not attempt to moralise or spell out theories. It merely tells a story of an all boys’ residential school in a lucid style,while also raising thought-provoking issues,regarding morality,duty,priority and the form/system of education.

Sabby,a child from a joint family,loved his family home where he enjoyed the freedom to indulge his imagination. He basked in the affection of the elders and delighted in the company of his imagined heroes of comic books or fairy tales. But the threat of Japanese bombings in Calcutta during World War II prompts the family to send the sensitive boy out of the town,and out of his known environs. It is not that all residential schools are bad,but unfortunately for our protagonist,this was a loveless school where only discipline prevailed. Boys were mercilessly punished for small offences.

The result of such brutal treatment was that the boys were terrified of the teachers and their canes. And worse,they were transformed into the mirrors of their torturers. They began enjoying killing small animals and threw their bodies on to a tree — a cruel way of entertaining themselves. From inflicting death on helpless creatures,they went on to imagine the murder of human beings,including of their brutal teachers. Despite the fear of punishment,however,the boys were boys,and there was always the attraction of adventure and breaking rules. In one such adventure a few boys go out to gather some jamuns. They enjoy their adventure,and while running back to the hall as the bell for assembly rings,they see Sister Manning,caught in the branches of a tree and falling off the sharp precipice. But they have little humanity left and the fear of punishment looms large obliterating her screams for help. The dilemma for Sabby,whom she calls out to and who is the last boy running,is acute. Should he rescue her,which he could do or should he run to the assembly to avoid punishment for breaking the rule? The latter proves stronger. He runs to make it to assembly on time leaving the lady to die. Sabby escapes punishment that day,but through his life can never escape the memory of the “horror of what happened”— “her arms in the air,her habit billowing… falling through those unyielding thorns.” The memory was “like touching a scar where all feeling is dead,but isn’t.” Even in his old age he is haunted by the question: “Could a nine-year-old boy be blamed for a lack of judgement in that harsh regime?”

Sen tells this poignant story brilliantly. The sentiments of the boys,and especially of Sabby,are portrayed so strongly and the descriptions are so vivid that one feels it is almost autobiographical. But then the true talent of an author lies in the skill with which he or she can capture someone else’s emotions as if they were his/her own. Sen has taken up the pen for the first time at the age of 81! An admirable feat! Congratulations to the author.

Bharati Ray is vice-president of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations