Banyan Tree under arrest for more than 100 years

A banyan tree located in Landi Kotal army cantonment area in present day Pakistan stands arrested for 120 years now. Landi Kotal is located at the western edge of the Khyber Pass that traditionally marks the entrance to Afghanistan. The small town of Landi Kital is situated in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan. The banyan tree is shackled in chains, with a board that reads "I am under arrest." The story goes that in 1898, a British officer named James Squid, in an inebriated state, thought the tree was lurching towards him. This made him feel threatened, so he ordered the mess sergeant to arrest it. The mess sergeant obeyed and chained the offending tree.

This illogical act has a deeper, darker meaning though. It is a symbol of the draconian British Raj Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR) colonial laws. Amran Shinwari, a local resident told the Tribune, "Through this act, the British basically implied to the tribesmen that if they dared act against the Raj, they too would be punished in a similar fashion." Another resident said, "The tree is a constant reminder of injustice and unfair laws."

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