मेरा आजीवन कारावास / माझी जन्मठेप (स्वातंत्र्यवीर सावरकर - काले पानी का ऐतिहासिक संस्मरण)

how well they had fed themselves, they also began to have their share in that feast. From
the following days, the Muslims never dared open the bags reserved for the Hindus, for
they knew that it would no longer serve them to play that dirty trick.
I thus succeeded largely to drive away from their minds the silly notions about
food, and drink, sleeping and sitting, which, in the name of pollution and non-pollution,
had done so much harm to the Hindu society. As a result the Hindu way of life became as
convenient for us in prison as was the Christian and the Muslim way to its followers. Life
became easier and we, as-Hindus, were enabled to face our hardships with better courage
and greater fearlessness. This had one other effect as well. Many a Hindu in this prison,
who had gone over to Islam disgusted with these taboos, was converted back to Hinduism
by this change of outlook on life and religion. And many a Hindu who was inclined to
that faith naturally remained in his own religion. Occasionally I succeeded in converting
a Christian to Hindu faith. Let me mention in this connection the story of a Telangi
Brahmin warder. This prisoner was forty years old. He had come from Telangan. He was
a Christian by descent. His parents, or grand-parents, a generation ago, had accepted
Christianity. I saw him reading Ramayana in his native tongue and since then I began to
take interest in him. I kept an eye on him and began to know more of him. He had also
learnt English and knew it tolerably well. I promised him the post of a Munshi if he
would improve his English and teach it to other prisoners in the jail. That offer made him
come to me to learn English. Of course he had to meet me for that purpose warily. Soon
he became my staunch follower. I told him about our country, its history and its national
leaders, and how it was the duty of every one of us to work for her.* This drew him more
closely to me and he expressed his earnest wish that he should be taken back into
Hinduism. He was a man of strong will, and, though I tried to dissuade him from it, he
would not listen to me. At last I agreed to perform the Shuddhi and convert him back to
Hinduism. So he became a Hindu and also adopted a Hindu name. He wrote to
Government that, in the register of prisoners, his name should be entered as a Hindu.
When the priest came, he did not attend his prayers as a Christian. Mr. Barrie was very
angry with him and threatened that he would take him off from the duty of a warder. But
the Superintendent paid no heed to Mr. Barrie. After his conversion, the Brahmin went to
the Hindu temple on holidays like Dussera and Divali taking special permission for that
purpose. He wore a tilak on his forehead and began the study of Vivekanand's writings.
He read stories of great valour from Indian history, and contributed regularly to our
organisation the monthly sum of four annas out of his slender purse of twelve annas a
month.
From the prison the Shuddhi movement began to spread outwards among the free
inhabitants of the Andamans. There was in it an independent Hindu world of merchants,
tradesmen, soldiers and children of prisoners who had settled in that land. There were in
the Andamans Hindu temples built by these permanent settlers; and these were not so far
open to the outcastes. It was difficult to get converts to Hinduism admitted into them.
But, in the process of time, that custom fell into abeyance and on big holidays they were
open to all who called themselves Hindus or were Hindus by conversion. These entered