Sacred Sal Tree (Mansingh Baskey) India |

Sacred Sal Tree
Mansingh Baskey
India. 2025. 15 min

The film highlights the conflict between tribal life and the formal justice system. Tibru Munda, a poor tribal villager, is arrested for carrying firewood taken from a fallen tree and is charged under forest laws. In court, his honest explanation is ignored due to rigid legal procedures and deep-rooted prejudice. His refusal to swear on the Gita, and his choice of the sacred Sat tree instead, reveals the cultural gap between tribal beliefs and state institutions. Through Tibru’s struggle, the film questions the idea of justice, ownership of forests, and the survival of indigenous identity.

MANSINGH BASKEY

Mansingh Baskey, born in Jharkhand, India, is a filmmaker with an academic background in Mass Communication (B.A.) and Film Production (M.Sc.). He has further honed his skills with a certificate in TV Direction from FTII, Pune.