SIX AND A THIRD ACRES

Six and a third Acres was the first modern Odia novel, and has remained at the heart of Odin literary excellence ever since. It was published as Chha Mana atha guntha in the literary monthly Utkal Sahitya between 1897-99. Over a century after it was first published, this sombre tale continues to attract readers because of fakir Mohan senapati's innovative technique, indelible characters, wit, imagination, and tremendous insights into the rural milieu. The novel is about village politics, caste oppression, malpractices, and land-grabbing under the zamindari system in colonial Odisha. Ramchandra mangaraj, a sly zamindar of the village of govindpur, is notorious for taking over the lands of poor peasants and farmers. This time, his avaricious gaze falls on a small patch of land-six and a third acres-belonging to a humble, god-fearing weaver couple. Unable to fight the zamindari devious schemes, the couple succumbs to the harsher realities of caste-ridden village life.