Hunger Strikes in the Kalapani

Just the name of the Kalapani Jail induces fear in the minds of the people. Then how did the prisoners over there get the courage to rebel against the government? Furthermore, how is it possible that they achieved their goals? Let's find out.

Cellular Jail | Source: Google

In the aftermath of the revolt of 1857, the penal settlement in the city of Port Blair, which is now the capital of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, was constructed. It was built because keeping political prisoners in the mainland jail was getting more and more difficult for the government of India. The only solution was to transport them to a jail secured by the forces of nature, oppressive and unlivable in structure so that the prisoners get preoccupied with their survival rather than thinking about their country and its masses.

The prisoners in the cellular jail were to live in seclusion, in a small iron-gated cell, with no sunshine. They were given two pots to use, one as a dish for eating and the other as a toilet. They had to work for six hours non-stop under the scorching heat of the sun and were given unachievable targets on purpose. On not fulfilling the targets, they were punished harshly. One example can be that the prisoners were tied down in place of bullocks and had to grind 30 pounds of oil every day from an oil mill. Even their toilet breaks were strictly controlled and they had to hold it in for hours until they were allowed. A whip on the back was as frequent as drinking water.

In 1933, on the eve of the hunger strike, there were around 115 political prisoners present in the Kalapani Jail and around six of them were below the age of 18. The first hunger strike commenced on 3 January 1933 and went on for six days. In this strike, the prisoners demanded better food and work conditions which were not provided by the authorities. The next strike started almost four months after, on the 12 May 1933. However, there was a lack of unanimity among the prisoners about when to start and who would participate. The demands included having light in their cells till 10 p.m., getting a weekly newspaper, and also getting a varied diet of fruits and vegetables. The inmates were motivated because they thought that dying for a noble cause was much better than staying in a jail which was basically a jungle with deplorable conditions.

A more decisive and successful strike happened in the year 1937. This was waged by over 200 prisoners in the jail of which most came from Bengal. This strike was then further aggravated by Congress, which was, coincidentally contemplating launching a political movement to seek the release of political prisoners, and this provided the spark it needed. The Andaman prisoners, before launching the hunger strike, gave an ultimatum demanding the release of political prisoners, repeal of repressive laws, and repatriation of prisoners and their respective states. This ultimatum, however, went unnoticed by the authorities in the jail, and thus the movement began.

All over India, the news of the conditions in which these prisoners lived spread like wildfire. The movement of the prisoners received much traction in the imagination of the Indians. The movement, very soon, became an all-India issue and also gained the recognition of leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru and Mahatma Gandhi. 14 August was declared Andaman Day and in observance of this, schools and offices were also closed. On 24 September, the hunger strike came to an end on the persuasion of Gandhiji who still worked hard negotiating with the government to solve the prisoners' problems. On 18 November, these talks finally produced a desirable result as the Bengal government announced the immediate release of 1100 prisoners. Thus, the courage shown by these prisoners in the face of such adversity led to some fruitful yield.