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

More precious than a jewel necklace
This garland of flowers was an invaluable recognition of our efforts during the
last ten years for uplift of the Andamans. We felt our efforts rewarded by this token of
love and reverence. It was dearer to us than any necklace of jewels. As he garlanded me,
the crowd expressed its joy by clapping. These plaudits betokened loving gratitude that
went home to my heart. It was a conclusive answer to the efforts of the authorities to
inspire fear and disaffection about me among the settlers in the Andamans.
I found some time to talk confidentially to my friends and chief co-workers before
being taken up into the steamer. Through them I gave my parting advice to the dwellers
in the Andamans. I told them, "Stay in the Andamans, cultivate the soil, inter marry,
multiply, and add to the growth and expansion of the Hindu culture in those islands." I
also chalked out for them the work they were to do. As I climbed the ascent ten years ago
from Port Blair to the Silver Jail, I had never imagined that time would come when I was
to descend from that place and go back to India. But now I had climbed down and was
stepping into the steamer that was to take me back to India.
As the thoughts were passing in my mind, the steamer 'Maharaja' had arrived. She
was bound for Calcutta. We went up and I felt a strange sensation coming over me. I was
to lose the little freedom I was beginning to enjoy in the Silver Jail, and, when in India, I
may be put under severer custody as if I was to run my whole sentence once again
beginning from it first day. As I stepped into the steamer, I was taken to the cage for
prisoners on the ground floor. It was in the same cage that I was locked on my first
voyage to the Andamans. A shiver passed over my entire body as I remembered it. And
my elder brother was to be with me now, a thin, emaciated scare-crow of a man
hiccoughing without rest or relief. We were both put in together.
Put in the cage of maniacs
The cage in which we were locked up was packed full of lunatics. The insane in
the Andamans were all being despatched to India by the same steamer. And in their
company we were bound for voyage to India and in the same cage with them! The
lunatics were pouring forth foul abuses on one another and were crying aloud in turns.
Some were holding their throats in the grip of their hands as if to throttle themselves. The
man put in charge of these madmen was one of themselves, who had recovered from that
ailment. He used to hammer them all one by one. There was not even moving space for
us two in this medley. And my brother was burning with fever and so emaciated in body,
and he was herded among this pack.