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Cellular Jail
The Cellular Jail was regarded by the freedom fighters all over the country
as a place of pilgrimage. It was here the British Government used to send "dangerous
prisoners". The construction of the Cellular Jail was taken up in 1898 and
completed by about 1906.
The structural speciality of the Cellular Jail is that the whole jail
consists of cells. Each cell was meant for one inmate only and hence the
name. Cellular Jail originally had seven, three storeyed wings with a total of
698 cells, radiating from a central tower which had an additional storey to
facilitate watch and ward.
In one of the three surviving wings of the Jail is situated the District
Jail. On the inside walls of the hexagonal brick built structure of the second
floor of the Central Tower of the Cellular Jail, one can find the names of more
than 336 freedom fighters and revolutionaries who were incarcerated in the
Cellular Jail for their patriotic fervor.
In the Cellular Jail Museum more than 200 photographs of all freedom fighters
who were in the Jail are exhibited. Reports about the atrocities, the Jail
authorities used to commit on these days and published in national newspapers on
the mainland are on display. Certain paintings on the barbarous treatment meted
out to the prisoners, utensils, vessels, uniforms etc. of the prisoners used in
those days and the tools, machines which the prisoners were made to operate, on
great personal risk are all in the museum reminding us the untold sufferings of
the freedom fighters while languishing in the Cellular Jail.
Convicts who were sentenced to transportation for life were sent to these
islands and interned in the Cellular Jail. Many political prisoners and
revolutionaries were incarcerated here during the freedom struggle. Against the
tyranny of the Jail management political prisoners were not allowed to
communicate with their friends and relatives on the mainland except once in a
year. Even the letters coming from mainland and newspapers subscribed by the
prisoners were censored before being given to them. While fighting against this tyranny
some political leaders had to lay down their lives. Many prisoners had gone
insane in the Jail and ended their live by committing suicide rather than
subjecting themselves to the indignities heaped on them.
In 1941 earthquake caused
cons iderable damage to the Jail building. During
the Japanese occupation from March 1942 to October 1954 further damage was
caused to the building. All this finally resulted in the demolition of four
out of the seven wings of the Jail. At preset there are only three wings and
these stand as silent monument to the great patriot's and martyrs who were
interned in this Jail, who had to sacrifice their lives at the altar of their
country's freedom.
According to Andaman and Nicobar Gazetteer 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 18months,
where the work was hard but discipline less irksome. For the next three years
the life convicts lived in barracks at night and went out to labour under supervision.
For that labour he received the reward, but his capabilities were studied.
During the next five years, he remained a labouring 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 savings bank.
After completing 10 years in transportation he received a ticket of 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 rights 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 tools and paid no
taxes, but after three to four years according to certain conditions he
received no assistance and was charged with every public payment, which could
be demanded of him, were he a free man.
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