Just like the United States constructed Guantanamo Bay to detain alleged terrorists, the British colonisers in India had practiced the same method several years ago. The Cellular Jail, also known as Kala Pani was one of the most dangerous prisons functional in British-India from 1906 to 1941.
It was a colonial prison situated in Port Blair, the Andaman
and Nicobar Islands of India by the British. It’s main purpose was to exile
political prisoners and severely torturing its prisoners. Those
who spoke against the British colonisers or led uprisings were immediately sent
to the Cellular Jail.
Why Is It Called Kala
Pani?
It was also called as Kala Pani due to its water locked
tongue of land. There was no way that
the prisoners could escape and if they did, it would be almost impossible to make
it out alive of the ocean. The freedom fighters in India called it ‘Kala
Pani’ since Kala means black, which is the colour associated with death.
It was believed that those who were chosen for the ‘kala
pani ki sazza’ would never make it out alive of the prison. The British were of
the opinion that calling it ‘black water jail’ meant that they are obligated to
beat the prisoners black and blue till they would die. Many freedom fighters
including Mahavir Singh, Subodh Roy, Bhai Parmanand were made to face the
atrocities at this prison.
Cellular Jail
Punishment
The aim of this prison was to keep the rebellious Indian
fighters away from each other so as to not spread any hate propaganda
against the British. To teach these courageous freedom fighters a lesson, the
colonisers had to abide by strict methods of torture which mentally and physically
tired out the brave soldiers.
Flogging, solitary confinement, force-feeding were the most
common punishments received. The prison cells were 4.5 x 2.7meteres each, enough
for the confinement of one. This explains why it was called a ‘Cellular Jail’. There
was no proper disposal of excreta and the hygiene of the cells was completely
ignored. As a result many prisoners died of starvation and harmful diseases.
There is no proper estimate of how many prisoners died
during the kala pani ki sazza. This is because all records were erased by the
British before emptying the prison and those who died during their tenure were
thrown into the sea without any record.
There are a few other facts that remain oblivious to the
people of India. A few of them are as follows:
The Cellular Prison was constructed in an octopus shaped structure
which was inspired by an English philosopher, Jeremy Bentham. In the centre of
all the towers, was a watchtower where the jailor would reside but the
prisoners were not aware about the same.
Those held captive were not only tortured but even made to
do forced labour. They contributed towards oil extraction, rope making,
construction of roads, cleaning forests and many more physical jobs. If they
failed to complete the assigned job, they were tortured and severely punished.
The jail did not comprise of big rooms but 693 small cells
distributed among the 7 wings. The solitary confinement was so harsh that the
Savarkar brothers, Ganesh and Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, who were not aware about each other’s presence in the prison
until 2 years.
The prison was built so as to avoid any unanimous meetings
of the freedom fighters. Their cells were constructed in such a way that the door
of each cell was facing the back of another cell. The prisoners were unaware
about the existence of the others who
were being help in the prison.
However, even after the magnanimous restrictions, a few
prisoners revolted against the prison conditions and organised a hunger strike
in the prison. As a result of the strike, three freedom fighters, Mahavir
Singh, Mohan Kishore Namdas and Mohit Moitra lost their lives after they were
force-fed by the jail authorities.
During World War II, Japan had taken over the Andaman Island
where a few British soldiers were detained too. The health director of India at
that time had protested against the conditions of the prison and the unhygienic
food provided to the prisoners. This was not taken well by the Japanese who
hung him upside down and pulled the flesh out of his body.
Today, four wings of the cellular jail remain demolished due
to a 1941 earthquake and the remaining three wings were made into a museum. After
achieving independence, a few freedom fighters and political leaders advocated
against the demolishment since they saw it as a method of erasing the cruel
evidence of the past.
Cellular Jail Today
Today, the kala pani jail is a National Museum paying
tribute to the freedom fighters and those martyrs who lost their lives fighting
for their nation’s freedom. In 1963, the Govind Ballabh Pant Hospital was built
in the premises in memory of the atrocities this island faced. Today, the
hospital serves the local population of Port Blair.
The Cellular Jail Museum today is a popular tourist
attraction that marks the remarkable sacrifice of our freedom fighters. A light
and sound show is organised in the evenings for the tourists that showcase the
trials and tortures of the kala pani ki saaza.
The museum is a must visit for all Indian’s at least once in
their lifetime to ascertain the cost at which we got our Independence from the
British colonisers. Each life lost during those dreadful years shall never be
forgotten. Their souls shall remain immortal.
Written by Jerusha Patel
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