Directorate of Art and Culture Andaman & Nicobar Administration

The Directorate of Art and Culture initially started functioning as a constituent unit of under the Directorate of Education with few teaching staff of the Department of Education.

As the unit started shouldering more activities in the field of Art & Culture, it, along with Youth Affairs & Sports, which was also functioning under the Directorate of Education was separated and re-constituted as Directorate of Sports, Art and Culture. The staff of the Directorate of Education who were engaged in Art & Culture and in Sports were also shifted to the new Department on diverted capacities and later they were transferred to the newly constituted Department of Sports, Art and Culture vide Order No. 4275 dated 12/10/2004 .With the addition of more and more activities under Sports and under Art & Culture, the Administration felt the need of separating the two wings and made two separate Departments as Department of Sports and Youth Affairs and Department of Art & Culture in the year 2011 vide Administration’s Order no.1221 dated 31.3.2011. Since then the Department of Art & Culture is functioning as a separate Department.

• Restoration of Heritage Structures i.e. Gallows and Guard House at Viper Island
• Strengthening of the foundation of the Cellular Jail under Swadesh Darshan Scheme under Ministry of Tourism through the department of Tourism, A&N Administration.
• The department has taken up the documentation of Artifacts and Antiques of Andaman Nicobar Islands Raj Niwas which gives a glimpse of the Artifacts available in the Raj Niwas for last 70 years
• The Department has finalized a proposal of renaming of 21 islands after PVC awardees
• Conducted the visit of VVIPs and dignitaries to Cellular jail

Fig: Achievement

The history of Andaman and Nicobar starts from the Ramayana period. It is believed that the name of Andaman Islands is derived from the word Handuman or Hanuman. Famous Greek astronomer Ptolemy of 2nd Century mentioned the islands "Agmatae”. Later, occasional voyagers who passed through these islands includes, the Arab travellers in 9th Century, Marco Polo who visited in 13th Century described this place as Angamanaian. Friar Odoric and Cesare Federici also made references on these islands in 14th and 16th Century respectively. In the 18th Century, Lieutenant Archibald Blair of the Royal Indian Navy founded a convict colony on Chatham Island merely by clearing forests, setting up cottages, and planting kitchen gardens and orchards. However, the first settlement was later abandoned in 1796. After the First war of Independence in 1857 “the Andaman Committee” under Dr. Frederic John Mouat was set up to examine best site for penal settlement. Captain H Man raised Union Jack at Port Blair on 22 January 1858 to establish and manage Penal System.

Fig: Construction of the Cellular Jail

Construction of the Cellular Jail took place between 1893 and 1906 with a total of 668 cells having 7 wings in Star circular model. This jail was built to imprison freedom fighters from the mainland. Japanese occupied the islands during the Second World War (1942 to 1945). The island was handed over to the Provisional Government of India (PGI) established under leadership of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose in the year 1943.
After Independence the Indian Government setup the administration in these islands making Port Blair as the Head Quarter. The First Chief Commissioner of Independent Andaman was Shri Imam-ul-Majid in 1947.
First Batch of Settlers during Post Independence Era: Rehabilitation of about 198 refugee families from Pakistan (March 1949). After that the Settlement continued in 1950-1961. These Settlers are basically Agriculturists and Petty tradesmen from Bengal, Ranchi, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, etc. The Government has offered land for those Settlers.

The Andaman in general and the Cellular Jail in particular played a prominent part in the history of freedom struggle. The British Government in India established a penal settlement in Andamans on the recommendations of Andaman Committee, after almost sixty two years. The mutineers and rebels were forced transport to the penal settlement in Andamans. The first war of independence supplied first batch of 200 freedom fighters who arrived in Andaman on 10th March 1858. A large number of freedom fighters of 1857 were transported to Andaman but their names are yet to be discovered. Three months later, on 16 June Superintendent James Pattison walker recorded the following tally of convicts: Total received convicts were 773, died in hospital - 64, escaped and not recaptured (probably died for starvation, or killed by the savages) - 140, suicide - 1 and hanged for attempting to escape -87. The Britishers forced the prisoners to clear the jungle, which disturbed the natives, the natives began to hit back. This brings up the spark among the natives to fight against the Britishers for their freedom, which led the first war called “The Battle of Aberdeen” on 17th May 1859.

Fig: History of freedom struggle

Cellular Jail constructed by Britishers by using convict labours is now a pilgrimage destination. It was dedicated to the nation as a National Memorial in 1979 by the then Prime Minister of India.

They celebrate Onam, Pongal, Diwali, Holi, Durga Puja and many Indian festivals. The festivals celebrated in Andaman and Nicobar Islands take on the islands’ hues. Among the other festivals of Andaman and Nicobar Islands the fortnight-long Island Tourism Festival is an important Andaman festival.

Fig: Cultural Programme

Even though the Union Territory of Andaman & Nicobar does not have any regional festivals, it enjoys a series of tourism, music and beach festivals. These lively festivals are hosted with the motive to make the tourists learn more about the culture and traditions of the inhabitants. So far, the islands celebrate six major festivals, amongst which the Island Tourism Festival is quite popular. Held in Wimberlygunj, Wandoor, Shaheed Dweep ,Swaraj Dweep, Rangat, Mayabunder, Diglipur, Hut Bay, Car Nicobar, Kamorta and Campbell Bay for 15 days. This festival focuses on mainland artists especially reputed music bands, Bollywood singers, dancers, performers. Also Artists of East and South Zone Cultural Centers are also invited. Besides this ,the participation of local artists is a major attraction. Other important festivals in Andaman & Nicobar Islands include Beach Festival that is held for 3 days; a Food Festival/ Monsoon Festival, which is also celebrated for 2-3 days; a Food Festival and a Film Festival etc. Apart from this World Tourism Day is celebrated every year on 27th September. All these festival let the tourists enjoy the vibrant culture, delicious food and composite art and culture of the Union Territory of Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

A two-member committee headed by Sir Charles J.Lyall and Sir, A.S.Lethbridge visited Port Blair in 1890 and recommended the construction of jail building in Port Blair. The construction of Cellular Jail building started in 1893 by the settlement order No.423 dated 13th September 1893. It was completed in 1905-06.
Spread as seven spokes of a bicycle wheel, this unique three-storied structure was the first its kinds in India. 663 cells in the jail were specially built for solitary confinement of the prisoners. Later 30 additional cells were constructed. In the center of the seven wings of the Cellular Jail was built the Central tower. Each cell wing was sealed off by an iron grill door.Thus a single guard on duty could supervise all the seven wings from his vantage position. Another unique feature of jail was the total absence of communication between prisoners in the different wings since the front of one row of cells faced the back of the wings in front.

Fig: Cellular Jail, Port Blair, A & N Islands

Each cell measured 13 ½ ft. by 7 ft. and had an iron grill door. A 3-ft. by 1 ft. ventilator, 9 ft. from the floor provided some light and air. The cells in the jail were in a row. The verandah about 4 ft. wide which ran all along the front was sealed by iron railing fixed into the arched pillars, that support the roof of the varandah. All the seven corridors culminated at the Central Tower fixed by an iron gate to central entrance and exit. The cells were secured with iron bolt and lock from outside in a manner, which made impossible for the prisoners to unlock it, no matter however they tried. Each of three storeys of the seven wings had wardens for night watch. 21 wardens simultaneously manned the watch duty and vigil throughout day night. Besides, sentries in the Central Tower also kept watch.
To accelerate construction work, about 600 convicts from different stations like Viper, Navy Bay, Phoenix Bay, Birchgunj and Dundus Point etc, were engaged. About 20,000 cubic feet of local broken stone was used, while building materials were also brought in from Burma. Some 30,00,000 bricks made Dundus point and Navy Bay Brick Kilns were used to construct the jail. A two-storied building at left side near the entrance of the jail was also constructed to be used as jail Hospital. On the plinth of this building now stands Martyrs' Column. Near the compound wall at right of the main entrance were the gallows, capable of hanging three persons simultaneously with a separate door in the outer compound wall to carry out corpses. Adjacent to the gallows were kitchens with Hindu and Muslim sections. A well was dug in the yard between two sections for the supply of sweet water. At the main entrance of the jail stands the two-storied administrative Block. The jail was manned by the Jailor and Deputy Jailor, assisted by petty officials called Tendals, Jamadar, warder and Petty Officers, who used to be incharge of the convicts. Powers of Superintendent of Jail were vested in the Chief Commissioner, but later these were delegated to the Senior Medical Officer.
Many charismatic personalities were imprisoned in this Jail. Savarkar brothers, Hotilal Verma, Babu Ram Hari, Pandit Permanand, Ladha Ram, Ullaskar Dutt, Barindra Kumar Ghosh, Bhai Permanand, Indu Bhushan Roy, Prithvi Singh Azad, Pulin Das, Trailokyanath Chakravarthy, Gurumukh Singh among others. The catalogue is long and distinguished. Groups of revolutionaries involved in Alipore Bomb case, Nasik Conspiracy case, Lahore Conspiracy case, Chittagoan Armoury Raid case, Inter-provincial conspiracy case, Gaya Conspiracy case etc. were brought to the Cellular Jail with long terms of imprisonment. These men and women so convinced of their nation's destiny and so willing to give the utmost of themselves found themselves confronted with the cruel Jailor, David Barrie, an Irishman who believed that it was his God-given destiny to suppress these enemies of Her Majesty- the Queen with violence and vile abuse.

The work quotas given to the Political Prisoners were frequently impossible to complete within specified time and the dire punishment followed for those who failed to meet them. Punishment was barbaric. Torture and flogging were frequently resorted to on iron triangular frame, gunny bag uniforms, unhygienic diet, bar fetters, crossbar fetters and neck ring shackle and leg iron and chains were other deterrents for those who refused to submit to the brutal wardens. The punishment varied from handcuffs for a week and fetters for six months to solitary confinement.

Fig: Historical Facts about Andaman Islands

The freedom fighters brought to the Cellular Jail rebelled against the tyranny of David Barrie. Mass hunger strikes were resorted to especially between 1937 and 1938.Three Freedom Fighters died. The last strike began in July 1937 continued for 45 day. The strike was terminated on the intervention of Mahatma Gandhi and Rabindra Nath Tagore. The Government decided to close down the penal settlement and all the political prisoners of Cellular Jail were repatriated to their respective states on mainland India by January 1938.

The Japanese Imperial Force occupied the Andaman and Nicobar Islands during World War II from 23rd March 1942 to 7th October 1945. They put to death many hundreds of people in the most barbaric way, whenever anyone was suspected of sympathizing with the British. Many of the educated persons who were rounded up as suspected spies were kept in the Cellular Jail and were later shot dead.

Fig: Japanese occupation of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands

Many were buried in a common grave. The Humfraygunj Martyrs' Memorial today stands as a mute witness to the inhuman treatment meted out to the citizens of Andamans. Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose visited the islands as Head of the Provisional Government of India on 29th December 1943. During his three days on the islands, he visited the Cellular Jail and stopped the punishment of prisoners without proper trial. Netaji hoisted tricolour flag of India at Andaman for the first time and christened the Andaman and the Nicobar Islands as "Swaraj" and "Shaheed" Dweep respectively.