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

Graduates of Naland Vihar
From the day that I saw every possibility for a large number of political convicts to be
released under general amnesty from this jail, I carried on among them in every meeting
and on every occasion throughout the week till the last batch of prisoners had gone out, a
vigorous campaign of education. We discussed the line of work we ought to follow, now
that we were being free, for national awakening and in favour of national freedom. When
these batches had stepped into the Silver Jail years ago they were only lovers of their
country full of the spirit of self-sacrifice. But within five or ten years of their life here,
they were completely transformed by self-education and study to such an extent that I
may sincerely say of them, that they were going out as full-fledged graduates of our
"Home University" of "Naland Vihar", as I have preferred to designate our educational
centre in this jail. They were no more mere soldiers in our army but they richly deserved
to be promoted, some of the best among them, to the rank of captains and generals. For
their patriotism was no longer a passing emotion or mere fervour, but had deepened by
self-discipline and study into a steady flame—"the pale flame of strenuous self
possession." Years of hard work and patience had brought them that rich reward, and hen
I saw the flame burning with its rich glow, I felt an indescribable joy within me for the
transformation I had witnessed in them. I felt that through them the fruit of my labour and
service will pass on to my country, and my power and my way of thinking will spread
throughout the land. That these were sure to be implemented through them made me so
cheerful and happy. There were some among them whom I had saved from the brink of
suicide. And I was particularly pleased that their lives would now be dedicated to the
service and uplift of the nation. The thought that it would be so, made me glad beyond
measure, and reconciled me to my present position in this prison.
After all of them had gone out in their respective batches, only thirty political
convicts remained behind of whom myself and my elder brother formed inevitable com-
pany. Putting our case aside, as out of question, I did not understand the logic of keeping
the rest still in that jail, when those who had been known to be hardened criminals and
dare-devils, any day worse than they, had been given the advantage of the proclaimed
amnesty. This may have happened, I laid the flattering unction to my soul, for want of
impartial and close scrutiny of every individual case as worthy or unworthy of pardon,
and because there was no fixed standard by which every prisoner should be weighed in
the balance. As a result some of them who really deserved release had been kept behind;
and the worthy had to suffer with the unworthy.
Ten years of intensive and wide-spread agitation had at last helped to turn the tide
in favour of all politicals prisoners in the country, but my brother and myself were once
more left high and dry to linger on the shore behind. Those who had come with me on
transportation for life, those who had been sent here on life-sentence some eight years
after me, had left the prison after only two years of incarceration. But we two continued
to rot here without even a day's pardon in the period of our sentence. Of course, the
treatment meted out to both of us was not without its due effect on the mind of the Indian