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

I discussed the project with them and decided to start a school in the prison itself for the
instruction of its juvenile offenders. I appointed an educated political convict as a teacher
above them. I knew from my knowledge of prison administration in other countries of the
world, that, under proper training, the juvenile class of criminals turned out into good
citizens. The teacher carried out his task with great efficiency. He was not content to
teach them merely the three R's, but instructed them, according to the programme drawn
by us, in subjects which made them sound in their morals and well-grounded in all that
concerned national education. A sloka from the Gita, some important extracts inculcating
sound principles of religion, drawn from our religious books, political news—these were
the daily items of education in the class-room. They were to read and write in Hindi and
in Nagari script. They were made to repeat and recite some of the national songs which I
had specially written in Hindi for the use of free people in the Andamans. They were also
taught many other national songs in Hindi which had a vogue in these islands.
After the establishment of this primary school for juveniles, I arranged for a
similar school in the depot itself for the instruction of other class of prisoners. What I had
done so far only secretly I now began to do openly for them. I had some 150 prisoners
detailed for work on the coconuts directly under my supervision. I gave them two hours'
leave during the day for attendance in the school. There they learnt in small batches and
by turns. On Sundays, according to the new order of things, all of them could freely come
together and attend the school at the same time. Hence our Sunday classes became a
regular and accepted feature of prison organisation. We had no fear now, and we had not
to be on the run. Did this free atmosphere make the prisoners insolent and disobedient?
Did they neglect their regular work or do less of it? Did it interfere with or spoil the
discipline of the place? By no means. What, before, had to be enforced on them as
compulsion, they now performed as a part of their duty. If one in ten among them showed
the slightest tendency for breach of discipline or an inclination to come to blows, others
would check them instantly saying, '0 you fool, how dare you behave thus under the mild
regime of Mr. Diggins and the kind treatment of Babuji, meaning myself. Have you so
soon forgotten Mr. Barrie and how he treated us? And everything began to run normally
again.
We celebrate the birth-anniversary of Guru Govind
Whatever public work I could do under the new prison-regulations I did openly.
For the rest we did it in our own secret way as before. For instance, we decided this year
to celebrate in prison the birth-day of Guru Govind Singh. I intended that the anniversary
celebration should be on a grand scale so that the Hindus and the Sikhs might come
closer to one another and the bond of unity among them might be strengthened, by the
understanding and appreciation by them both of their common culture. The day fell on
Sunday, and the prisoners in each wing of the jail could assemble together for the
celebration. But as the prisoners in one wing could not go to prisoners in another wing,
every school had to arrange for the celebration at different hour. All of them were,
however, equally eager to hear my speech on Guru Govind. So I found occasion to visit