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

And it turned out as I foretold. The amnesty was not only not applied to me, but
also to most of those political convicts who came there many years after me.
Some of them are still rotting in different jails in India. Heaven only knows
when they shall be free.
Those who were released included by far the largest number of political convicts
from Punjab and Gujarat. Most of them were soldiers and had fomented riots in that part
of India. They had been in this prison, at the most, for two years and a half. The pure
revolutionaries transported for life,—political prisoners strictly so called,—who got the
benefit of general amnesty, all hailed from Bengal and were involved in the Maniktola
Bomb Case; and others who were convicted in the Punjab and the Benares trials for
conspiracy and sedition. It was, indeed, a day of universal rejoicing for us all. But in the
midst of this rejoicing, I did not fail to point out the fly in the ointment, which was that
India was not yet free, that they had fought and suffered for her freedom which was the
national goal. And so long as that battle was not won, this rejoicing could not but have
its dark shadow of grief, and the rejoicing may be but momentary, to be followed by
similar hundred battles, and sufferings and incarcerations. Many still have to die fighting
for the cause which my trusted friends and colleagues should never lose sight of.
I also drew their pointed attention to a matter of deep significance locally; and it
was that among those released were some fire-eaters, one of whom had resounded the
whole chawl with his songs of patriotism culled from the revolutionary journal 'Gadar',
and made crowds of prisoners hang on his lips while he sang those passionate songs. I
may give here just one bit from them to show how fiery they were. Here is the catch :
"Open your eyes, O, Indians, the nation is reeling and sinking." I can never forget this
refrain; I can hear its sound even today. That such vehement persons should get their
pardon was an indication of change in the national temper, and the change in the policy
of Government dictated by that temper. It was not the reward for the good conduct of
prisoners in the Andamans. I kept on hammering this fact because the amnesty would
otherwise have been construed as the reward of obedience, and of abstention from any
activity in the prison for the unity and uplift of its inmates. And this feeling would have
reacted detrimentally on the conduct of the spirited persons among political prisoners as
also on that of other nationally-minded prisoners in that jail. That would have bred in
them cowardice to make them withdraw from many a useful activity which I had kept
going in that jail.
Leaving alone this aspect of the matter, I was very glad that the Bengali friends
who had borne the brunt of the revolutionary struggle and suffered terribly for it,
shoulder to shoulder with my elder brother, had got their release from this prison as a
consequence of the general amnesty proclaimed by the Government. I saw them
personally, and felicitated them upon their good fortune. There were among them some
who were more intimate with me and who were trusted friends and ardent patriots. They