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

CHAPTER III
The World War (1914) and its menace to the Andamans
The reader must have gathered from the first Chapter of this section, how, we,
political prisoners, were handicapped for news from India, and how, later on, that is, after
my transportation to the Silver Jail, matters became easier for us to procure news from
India and circulate it in the Andamans. Officers like Mr. Barrie spread among us canards
from India to harass and frighten us at the start of our prison-life here, whereas after two
years we gave him in the correct news about the position in India, so that faked news
found no soil to take root in these islands since that date onwards. I give here one or two
very funny instances of how they tried to fool and frighten us then.
A Bomb on the Governor-General
In the viceregal procession to the Coronation Durbar in Delhi in 1912, a bomb
was thrown at Lord Hardinge, the then Viceroy of India, somewhere in the vicinity of the
Chandni Chowk, when a stampede ensued, and, before the procession could move
onwards, the elephant with its Howdah in which Lord Hardinge was seated had to be
taken out of it. Except for the shock of the incident, the Viceroy had suffered no material
injury. This was reported as confidential news to the Chief Commissioner of the
Andamans, but we got it through our sources right at the time that it was flashed to the
Chief Commissioner. Depending upon it and in order to verify it, for it was likely to be
full of discrepancies as it came to us, I asked an officer who came to the prison next
morning on his usual round, "Has the coronation Durbar Ceremony at Delhi passed off all
right?" As he had no news of it till that time, he answered, "Yes, of course; you
revolutionaries must certainly have been staggered to witness this formidable display of
our Imperial prestige." I simply laughed to myself at this expression of arrogance, and
he was touched to the quick by my indifference. He returned to the officer and Mr. Barrie
put into his hands the special wire he had received from Delhi. He, instantly, flared up in
abuse, and said, "Surely enough, these fellows must have some inkling of it." Mr. Barrie
was astounded at the remark. He started a secret enquiry and found that the news had
been the talk of the entire prison. He created a scene in his office. One of my young
friends, by name Mr. Nair, was in the office at the time, for he had to attend it as a clerk.
Mr. Barrie cast his suspicion upon poor Mr. Nair. He pestered him for two days after, to
tell him who had brought the news to me. He threatened him with caning. The young man
was a spirited individual. With pen in hand he stood up and invited Mr. Barrie to cane
him there and then. Mr. Nair was taken to the Superintendent who found no proof against
him to confirm Mr. Barrie's suspicion. He was punctual and clever in his work and pet,
on that account, of the Superintendent. The Superintendent let him off with a warning
that he was to keep no connection with me; and that if he was found doing so, the
Superintendent would order caning him as punishment for the offence. This young man