Just because trees don't speak to us or retaliate, when we butcher them mercilessly, does it mean they feel no pain or agony or have no right to live? Enter the world of a mystical forest in lesser known Charre Marre region in Chhattisgarh where the trees will kill if you harm them! At the centre of this mysterious jungle, on a small hillock, stands a crooked banyan tree which has a massive network of roots that inextricably links together all trees of Charre Marre Forest. The local tribals refer to this bargad as 'Bakasur' meaning one that devours through its roots. Till now the tribals had been living harmoniously with this forest but things get upended when Ashok, a corrupt forest officer arrives on the scene and starts cutting down trees for illicit money. The forest in order to protect itself gradually starts turning upon the tree cutters and kills them! Ashok should have met the same fate. But something extraordinary happens when after a chance encounter with Bakasur, he is entrusted with unique powers - he can now feel the pain and suffering of trees when they are razed down, and acquires the ability to communicate with them! He gets linked to the crooked banyan tree and the forest, and a predator of trees is forced to become their protector as his own survival now depends upon them! Why was Ashok bestowed with such powers and what will he do with them? Will harmony be restored once again or will mayhem and carnage continue? Read on to find out. 'Murder by tree!' asks the question, who has a greater right to survive - Man or Nature.
Autorentext
Animesh Goverdhan is presently working as an Assistant Conservator of Forest in the
Government of Chhattisgarh. He has done his graduation in Environmental Engineering from
Delhi University. Being his hobby as well as his profession, he has widely toured different forest
landscapes all over the country, many of them being virgin forest areas. He has been
instrumental in developing a unique city forest 'Oxyzone' in the heart of the capital city of
Chhattisgarh, Raipur which is the only example where a large number of buildings were
demolished to plant new trees. He has penned two more books, Oxyzone ? The Magical Forest
of Raipur (ISBN 9788194345220) and Turning Mine Dumps into Green Mountains.