05-12-2012, 05:02 PM
CONDITION OF INDIAN PRISONERS AT PORT BLAIR
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INTRODUCTION
The Cellular Jail, also known as Kala Pani situated in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands (India). The prison was known to house many notable Indian activists during the struggle for India's independence. The Cellular Jail is one of the murkiest chapters in the history of the colonial rule in India. The remote islands were considered to be a suitable place to punish the rebels. Not only were they isolated from the mainland, they could also be used in chain gangs to construct prisons, buildings and harbour facilities. Many died in this enterprise. They served to colonise the island for the British.
The exact reason for giving this infamous name to the islands is still in the dark. Some experts are of the view that the colour of seawaters of these islands was black either in itself or because of the reflection of the thick and dark black clouds, which almost always remained overcast. There are others who say that the stone of the hills surrounding the sea was black which by its reflection made the colour of the sea appear black. However, numerous scholars reject this theory, and according to them the expression `Kala Pani` has been used with reference to the Sanskrit word `Kal`, which means Time or Death. The word `Kala Pani` thus, meant the water of death or a place of death from where only the luckiest returned." The British, immediately after the establishment of penal settlement in the Andamans in 1858, also referred these islands as existing across the `Black Water`.
Kala Pani` or `Black Water` virtually meant cruel and ruthless treatment to the prisoners till death. A sentence of deportation to `Kala Pani` meant a warrant for throwing the prisoner in living hell to face heard or unheard trials and tribulations and to lead a life of a beast or even worse than that. Expatriation to `Kala Pani` for life was worse than death penalty. The Indian revolutionaries were doomed to `Kala Pani` to undergo these harsh punishments but they in turn immortalised these islands by their selfless sacrifices.
HISTORY
This was the fort constructed(Spread in an area of 35.02 Acre’s) by the Dutch when they came here for their trade. This Fort was converted into Jail during the British Rule. It was given the status of Central Jail in 1847. This is the biggest and the oldest jail with complete protection in Andhra Pradesh. According to 1991 reports there were 584 life prisoners, 581 long duration and 355 short duration prisoners in this Jail.The construction of the prison started in 1896 and was completed in 1906. But the history of using the Andaman island as a prison dates back to the Indian rebellion of 185. The penal settlement established in Andaman by the British after the First War of Independence in 1857 was the beginning of the agonizing story of freedom fighters in the massive and awful jails at Viper Island followed by the Cellular Jail. The patriots who raised their voice against the British Raj were sent to this Jail, where many perished. The islands of Andaman & Nicobar, located in the Bay of Bengal and separated from the Indian mainland by thousands of kilometres of sea all around, was used by the British as penal settlement to which they banished thousands of freedom fighters as well as petty criminals. The first lot of 200 sepoys (privates) who participated in Sepoy Mutiny of 1857 arrived on the 10th of March, 1858, at Andaman and many were to follow. Under Superintendent J. B. Walker, the prisoners were forced to construct roads, buildings and everything else that was needed to convert marshy islands, infested with snakes leeches and scorpions and covered with deep primeval forests, into a settlement where the prisoners and their British minders can stay.
Construction of Cellular Jail
The Cellular jail stands, as a mute witness to the indescribable sufferings of the patriots who were incarcerated in the cells of this Jail even had to lay down their lives as victims of tyranny and brutalities of the foreign Governmen. Every brick of the Cellular jail has got a heart rendering story of resistance, sufferings and sacrifices.
The original building was a puce-colored brick building. The bricks used to build the building were brought from Burma, known today as Myanmar.The original building was a seven pronged, puce-coloured brick building, with a central tower as the fulcrum. Each wing was four-storeyed, with cells on the first three and a watchtower on the fourth. These spanned out in straight lines from the central tower, rather like the spokes of a bicycle. The tower used to house a bell which tolled the hour, but which was also sent into a frantic, frenzied alarm during a crisis. On each storey, near the fulcrum, was posted a guard who had to merely walk around like the hand of a clock to get a clear, unobstructed view of the verandas which faced the cells and from which he was protected by iron grilled doors.There was also an entrance block to the jail.
Prisoner Life in Cellular Jail
During the years 1910 to 1916, when these crusaders and many others were imprisoned in the Cellular Jail, an English man called Barry was the Jail Superintendent. This man was so utterly cruel that some prisoners became insane, while others committed suicide in a bid to escape malnutrition, the denial of hygiene, callous medical facilities, hard labour and a prohibition to communicate with family members and friends.
During twelve hours of the night, the warder insisted that the prisoner shall have no occasion to ease himself. The pot was so diminutive and that one could not discharge into it even once during the night. As for nature's call one had to go down on his knees to the Jamadar to let him out. The Warder may not take the call seriously. He may be reluctant himself or he may fear the Officer. The prisoner had, therefore, to check it till the morning. If the Warder realised and carried the matter to the Jamadar, the Jamadar would severely create the convict for the call at such an odd hour. He would or would not report to the doctor as his fancy or memory may guide him. The doctor's report on the ailment was never made or made only in one case out of a hundred. That report had to go to Mr. Barrie and Mr. Barrie would take action upon it at his own sweet will. In the morning Mr. Barrie, would sit in judgement upon it, rebuke sternly the warder and the Jamadar for their lapses of duty. When he prayed in this fashion there was no answering him.
Life as a Convict in Cellular jail
According to Andaman and Nicobar Gazetteer 1908, the life convicts were received into the Jail for six months, where the discipline was of severest, but the work was not hard. They were then transferred to the associated Jail for 18 months, where the work was hard but discipline less irksome. For the next three year the life convicts live in barracks, up at night and go out to labour under supervision. For that labour he received the reward, but his capabilities were studied. During the next five year he remained a laboring convict but was eligible for the petty posts of supervision and the easier forms of labour, he also got a very small allowance for little luxuries, or to save in the special Saving Bank. After completing 10 year in transportation he received a ticket to leave(self supporter). In that condition he earned his own living in a village he could farm, keep cattle, and marry or send for his family. But he was not free, had no civil right, and could not leave the settlement or be idle. After 20 to 25 years spent in the settlement with approved conduct he might be absolutely released. While a self-supporter, he was at first assisted with house, food, and tool, and paid no taxes or cesses, but after three to four year, according to certain conditions, he received no assistance and was charged with every public payment, which could be demanded of him, he be a free man.