PORT BLAIR AND THE ANDAMAN ISLANDS

PORT BLAIR AND THE ANDAMAN ISLANDS

March 6, 2016

Although separated from mainland India by over 700 nm, the Andamans have remained part of the empire established by the East India Trading Company.  These islands have been remote and sparsely settled until recent times.  Port Blair is the largest city in the group and boasts a population of around 70,000 inhabitants.  There are over 300 islands in the Andamans, most are uninhabited.  From what I have been able to read at the Marine Maritime Museum, there are six different aboriginal groups that make up the Andaman population:  Nicabarese, Andamanese, Jarawa, Onges, Sentinelese and one more that I don’t remember.

The North Sentinelese are the most noteworthy because they have violently refused any attempts by outsiders to make contact or land on North Sentinel Island.  They are a hunter gatherer society still using bow and arrows. Very little is known about the language, customs or origins.  The Indian government has posted North Sentinel Island as an aboriginal reserve and dangerous to approach.  A few people have been killed trying to land on the island.  The description I was reading stated that there are only 39 known Sentinelese aboriginals left; living in about 20 huts on the island.

The Jarawa are a hunter gatherer society but more tolerant to outsiders.  For the most part they remain aloof to any integration of outside influences. They are located in the Nicobar Islands.

The Onges are another group of hunter gathers that, until recently, refused any outside influence and still only permit occasional contact.  This came about because one of their children was badly wounded from a fall into a ditch.  He was taken to the hospital on another island and recovered.  During his convalescence, he became friendly to the doctors and nurses.  Upon returning to his village, he facilitated rudimentary contacts with the villagers.  The picture I saw in the museum showed him wearing western style shorts.  He was standing with his parents that had the typical native dress of their tribe.  I believe that his DNA indicated that this tribe originated either in Africa or South Eastern Asia.  One of the aboriginal groups has DNA that is similar to the Bushmen of South Africa!

The Nicobar Islands are off-limits to foreigners. Indian nationals need to apply for a permit to visit.  This is a large tribal group of people and has modern facilities on the islands.

The Andamanese are another large tribal group that has been largely integrated into Indian culture.  Most of the people we have met in Port Blair have origins from the Southern Indian mainland.  This is a popular place for mainland Indians to come for the holidays.  There are several ferries that come into the harbor several times a week.  Also, flights are available from the mainland.  We have met very few non-Indian foreigners so far.  We are the only sailing boat in the harbor.  If there are others, they are visiting the other islands.

The more unsavory history of Port Blair involves the Celluar Jail that was built under British rule to exile and punish those political dissidents that made up the “freedom fighters” to rid themselves of British authority.  The little I have gleaned from that gruesome place is that the “First War of Independence” against the British took place in 1858 and was unsuccessful.  The Celluar Jail was developed and expanded right up into the late 1930’s.  The treatment of prisoners was as brutal and inhumane as any that I have ever read about.  This was a place where the prisoners were sent to die.  They were worked to death by being given unreasonable work quotas and then flogged for not meeting them.  Add that to substandard meals and brutal treatment by the guards resulted in the deaths of many.  As the protest concept of a “hunger strike” took place in the Celluar Jail, brutal force feeding by the guards killed many.  They inserted a tube through the nasal passage or down the throat that went into the lungs.   Milk was poured directly into the lungs which resulted in the death of the victim.  All this was done under the supervision of the prison doctor!

In the meantime and very nearby on Ross Island, the British superintendent, prison warden, family and friends were having garden parties and afternoon tea. In the end, their system of brutality, exploitation and death met far more determined opponents culminating in their greatest of leaders: Gandhi.

Although we didn’t venture outside of Port Blair, we had the opportunity to meet some new acquaintances serendipitously.  There were three of them in a military style rubber inflatable.  At the time, there was a luxurious yacht anchored nearby and they tried to gain access to visiting it but were told that “special guests” were onboard and denied access.  They meandered over to our yacht and we invited them aboard.  It turned out that they were from the army and navy and we had a delightful conversation with them.  I gave them our “boat cards” with the blog site on one of them.  Rehsi, a colonel in the navy, took it upon himself to read the whole blog from beginning to end.  Somewhere in there, I must have mentioned that we like rum.  They returned the following day with a gift of two bottles of Indian Rum.  Well received my friends and the consequent slow voyage to Sri Lanka found it to be of excellent quality.  So, we salute our Indian friends Rehsi, Mohan and Suresh.  They made the Andaman voyage worthwhile.