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

when prisoners were let off for this purpose and at stated time only. It was an outrage to
ask the Jamadar for this convenience at any other moment than the stipulated hour The
prisoners were locked in their cells at six or seven o'clock in the evening and the lock was
opened only after six the next morning. A sort of clay-pot was given them to use it for
that purpose during the night. As I have already told you, the prison is called Cellular
Jail, because the prisoners in that jail were confined each in a separate, solitary cell.
During twelve hours of the night, the warders insisted that the prisoner shall have no
occasion to ease himself. The pot was so diminutive in size that one could not discharge
into it even once during the night. As for nature's call, one had to go down on his knees to
the Jamadar to let him out The warder may or may not take the call seriously. He may be
reluctant himself or he may fear the Officer. The prisoner had, therefore, to check it till
the morning. If the warder relaxed and carried the matter to the Jamadar, the Jamadar
would severely rate the convict for the call at such an odd hour. He would severely
reprimand the warder also for having heard the prisoner. He would or would not report to
the doctor as his fancy or memory may guide him! The doctor's report on the ailment was
never made, or made only in one case out of a hundred. That report had to go to Mr.
Barrie and Mr. Barrie would take action upon it at his own sweet will. Imagine the
prisoner's condition during the night and during this process of red-tape, particularly
when the call was not normal but an abnormal and sudden ailment ! In the morning, Mr.
Barrie would sit in judgement upon it, rebuke sternly the warder and the Jamadar for their
lapse of duty. When he brayed in this fashion there was no answering him. The prisoner
was also cross-examined by Mr. Barrie. And if the former said that he could not help the
call of nature, Mr. Barrie turned round upon him fiercely with the ejaculation, "Why the
devil did you have it?" And if the wretched creature had the courage to say, "I got it
because I got it", the Jamadar would give a slap in the face and scold him for giving such
an insolent answer. Usually the prisoner was let off only with this cannonade of words.
But Mr. Barrie's particular kindness to the prisoner always ended in an order to put him
immediately on the grinding mill!
A pinch of Tobacco
In this unbearable state of mind, some prisoners found it impossible to control the
call of nature and answered it on the floor of their cells. The cell was eight by ten feet,
and the prisoner had to sleep with his head near the nuisance he had committed. As soon
as the lock was opened for the day, he had to persuade the sweeper to clean the room of
the filth. He promised him the much desired tobacco in return. It was well if the
scavenger agreed to do so. Otherwise he would cry out for the Jamadar and break the fact
to him The Jamadar kicked the prisoner and rained fisticuffs on him if he was meek
enough to bear them. If he resisted, the Jamadar instantly took him to Mr. Barrie and
lodged complaint against him. The complaint was that the prisoner had dirtied the room.
Mr. Barrie passed orders that the prisoner was to clean the room himself or was to be put
in the stocks for three to four days. Standing in the stocks meant continuous stoppage of
urine and secretion, compulsorily so for four or five hours on end. The sentence was
executed between six to ten in the morning, and from twelve to five in the afternoon,
during which the prisoner had to stand with chains on hand which were fastened to the