The dark side of Andaman Islands

Andaman Tourism
Jul 20, 2017 · 3 min read

The Andaman and Nicobar Island set in the Bay of Bengal with a cluster of more than 400 islands in which around 50 are colonized by humanity is a land with the most aesthetic clear water seas in India. With immense ravish and resources the land is the only place with an active volcano and 2 mud volcanoes in India. people from all over the globe with the help of various Attractive Andaman Tour Packages visit this beautiful land to witness its wonders, like the bio-luminescence of the waters in Havelock island, the migration of different and varied varieties and species of butterflies to the land , the multi coloured fishes and the transparent fish is another wonder of the land. With all these beautiful and wonders the land also has a very dark and black side in its history. The cellular jail, which is popularly known to as the Kaalapani, is located in the Andaman Islands. It is said to be the cruelest prison in India, the place has many histories in its pages. The place is popularly known as Kaalapani due to its imprisonment methods that the Britishers followed to punish for years.

This solitary confinement was built by the Britishers taking time of 10 years. The construction of the building started in the year 1986 and came to an end after 10 long years in 1906 in port Blair, the capital city of Andaman Islands. This jail in the capital city is one of the most devastating remains of the British rule in India. This dreaded colonial prison was used by the British mainly to punish the Indian politicians who raised a protest against the British government. Isolated from the main land the Kaalapani refers to death in seas, have witnessed the most inhuman and cruel punishments imposed on the prisoners. The phase of Indian freedom struggle saw many freedom fighters like Batukeshwar Dutt and Veer Savarkar being tortured in this solitary confinement of Andaman Islands. The prisoners in the cellular jail were chained and made to work on construction sites. Later in 1930, the cell gained importance with the well-known hunger strike lead by Bharath Sing and Mahaveer Sing who went in protest against the cruel treatment the Indian freedom fighters face in the jail. Mahaveer Sing faces his death during the strike in the jail when the British officials forcefully tried to make him drink the milk. During the struggle, the milk went inside his lungs and he choked to death later his body was thrown into the sea.

Later with time, the buildings were damaged and now only the three wings and the tower remain of the cellular jail. Later in the year 1963, the jail was renovated into a national memorial. Now tourists from all over the world visit this place more for its cellular jail than the scenic beauty it surrounds. The Best Andaman tour packages from Chennai, Kolkata and many other parts of India are organised by Andaman Tourism to make access for tourist to this historic place available. Light and sound shows are organised for tourist from all over the world, portraying the Indian freedom struggle in the cellular jail and the cellular life in Kaalapani.

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