Someone recently shared a photograph listing the political prisoners from Bihar who had been incarcerated in the historic Cellular Jail. The implied suggestion seemed to be that the relatively small list reflected Bihar’s limited contribution to India’s freedom movement.
The picture immediately took me back nearly twenty years. I had seen that very list before.
Back in 2006, right after my marriage, my wife and I travelled to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands for our honeymoon. I had dreams of a far more glamorous honeymoon destination, but budget had other plans. So, we settled for Andaman and Nicobar Islands and the plan was to visit Port Blair and the Havelock Islands. Havelock Island, home to the famous Radhanagar Beach, was rated among Asia’s best beaches by Time magazine in the early 2000s. Another reason I was fascinated by Havelock Island was a rather unusual one. Not many are aware that the waters around the islands are known to have saltwater crocodiles...and I love the first half of the movie Khoon Bhari Maang! Sadly, never got an opportunity!
While in Port Blair, we visited beaches (not too many), nearby islands (for example the Viper Island), enjoyed bike rides, admired sunsets, and took far too many photographs. But unlike most honeymoon itineraries, one place I was determined to visit was the historic Cellular Jail in Port Blair.
We first went to watch the Sound & Light Show in the Cellular Jail. It was enjoyable, though twenty years later I must admit I remember the Cellular Jail itself far more vividly than the show. We decided that we will visit the Cellular Jail again the next day in the morning and take a guided tour.
Cellular Jail leaves a deep impression on you. Tiny prison cells, stories of unimaginable torture, hunger strikes, force-feeding, and the haunting realization that many of India’s bravest souls spent years there under brutal conditions.
During the tour, we climbed up the highest point of the jail. It was a dome-like watchtower overlooking different wings of the jail. It had large boards that displayed the names of prisoners, categorized state-wise. We began scanning for familiar names. Unfortunately, most of us know embarrassingly little about the people who actually fought for our freedom and thus we could find only few familiar names on those boards.
One thing stood out immediately though. The boards for Bengal and Punjab (especially Bengal) were overflowing with names.
Unsurprisingly, the Bengali tourists around us looked visibly proud while reading through the long list of names from their state. They were also passing comments on fewer names on other boards.
And then we reached the board for Bihar, my home state. My wife pointed that the board had surprisingly few names. Someone nearby laughingly remarked, “Looks like Bihar did not participate much in the freedom struggle.”
Now, as a proud Bihari, I felt duty-bound to respond.
So I replied loudly so that people nearby can listen, “To get your name on this board, you not only had to fight the British, you also had to get caught. The low number simply proves Biharis were smart enough not to get caught.”
There was silence. I think only my wife appreciated the response and smiled.
Of course, the remark was made entirely in good humor. I have the highest respect and regard for every freedom fighter who fought for India's independence, irrespective of their state, ethnicity, caste, creed, or language. Their sacrifices cannot and should not be measured region-wise.
Still, I must admit, as a Bihari, the opportunity to respond with a sharp line in defense of Bihar was simply too good to waste.
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