Century-old Tree presents Reflection of Colonialism
A banyan tree in Pakistan has been “under arrest” for the past 100 years!
The tree offers a reminder of an obscure episode in the history of the British Raj. It is located in the Khyber agency, a tribal area near the border with Afghanistan. The tree which sits inside an army cantonment is shackled with chains, extending from its myriad branches to the ground. A board still hangs from it which reads in part: “I am under arrest.”
According to the plaque fixed on the tree, in 1898 an intoxicated British officer ordered the mess sergeant to arrest the tree as he thought it was moving towards him. Since then, the tree has remained in chains.
This is apparently a true story. The offended Victorian, a British army officer named James Squid was in a drunken stupor and believed the multi-limbed banyan tree was somehow lurching towards him. He ordered its arrest. The move was not entirely an act of farce.
According to local speculation, the British basically implied to the local tribesmen that if they dared act against the Raj, they too would face punishment in a similar manner.
So there it stands --- rooted to its native soil, blameless yet punished, and fettered by bonds it still cannot shake off.
That's another thing if every citizen is ready to get out of the UK , given chance ...... ...............
Brit: Ha! Ha! I love your patriotism!
This shows how history can be subjective .. From the book I've just read , the chains and 'empty' manacles were designed to show the mercy of the British to those who tried to wrong them .. They forgave them and refused to chain them up
As some body said ''30 times more Indians in the UK'' that seems to be a correct estimate for me.
Lol @ Anees. MM in the chains ? ha ha ha.
But it is still unclear who learnt from whom or who taught to whom ? ............. DRINKING .............
Then there would have been 30 times more Indians in the UK than the present numbers ..... ..............
If only we hadn't given Independence to the country :0(
You are unfair to the gentleman, please consider his state of mind before you make a negative comment on the poor soul ........... He was DRUNK .............
Good that this tree has not be cut. It represents the stupidity of the British officer who ordered the tree to be chained.
Good chance for Mufti to make big money by writing a book who is fed up with the ever disturbing modern world affairs .................