Chapter felling-of-the-banyan-tree: Felling of the Banyan Tree | Long Questions

The conclusion of the poem shifts from the physical destruction in Baroda to the psychological aftermath in Bombay, which is described as a place where 'there are no trees.' This ending is significant because it highlights the theme of alienation in an urban setting. In Bombay, the poet finds a sterile environment dominated by concrete, where the vibrant natural world has been replaced by artificial structures. The mention of the banyan tree 'growing and seethes in one's dreams' suggests that while the physical tree was destroyed, its memory continues to haunt the poet's subconscious. The dream-tree’s roots 'looking for the ground to strike' symbolize the poet's own struggle to find a sense of belonging and grounding in the city. This powerful imagery conveys that once our biological and cultural roots are severed, we are left in a state of perpetual restlessness. The ending serves as a warning that urban progress can lead to a spiritual vacuum where nature only exists as a painful, haunting memory.

Dilip Chitre uses highly charged, violent vocabulary to transform a common event into a traumatic experience, emphasizing the moral weight of destroying nature. By using words like 'massacre' and 'slaughter,' he personifies the trees, suggesting that their felling is a form of murder rather than simple landscaping. These terms evoke a sense of injustice and cruelty, aligning with the grandmother’s view that felling trees is a 'crime.' The 'terror' felt by the onlookers further underlines the psychological impact of seeing a two-hundred-year-old living entity being hacked to pieces. This imagery is important because it forces the reader to move beyond a utilitarian view of trees as timber or obstacles. Instead, the tree is presented as a magnificent, mythological being whose 'rings' are its life blood. By framing the act as a slaughter, Chitre critiques the violent nature of human 'progress' that disregards the sanctity of life. This choice of words ensures that the student understands the tree's felling as a profound loss of life and heritage.

The banyan tree is described as a 'problem' because of its immense size and resilience, which represents the difficulty of erasing long-standing traditions. Standing three times as tall as the family house with a trunk circumference of fifty feet, it was a literal giant. Its 'scraggy aerial roots' anchored it firmly to the ground, making it a formidable opponent for the woodcutters. The removal process was long and arduous; it took fifty men with axes a full week just to saw off the branches, creating a massive heap of debris. This detailed description emphasizes the tree's majesty and the sheer effort required to destroy such an ancient life. The tree’s resistance signifies that old roots and traditions do not disappear easily; they require a sustained and violent effort to be removed. By detailing the struggle to fell the tree, Chitre highlights the enormity of the destruction, showing that when we decide to move toward modernity, we often have to exert massive force to kill the ancient spirits that lived before us.