COVER STORY: BOYS SCHOOL STUDENT PROTESTS: HISTORY BEHIND THE MYSTERY

THE LIGHT OF ANDAMANS | VOL: 35 | ISSUE: 26 | 03 FEBRUARY 2012

COVER STORY:

BOYS SCHOOL STUDENT PROTESTS:

HISTORY BEHIND THE MYSTERY

A pinch of history to clear the air about the 'mystery' and 'conspiracy' behind the 'sudden' outburst of the students.

By Zubair Ahmed

The strikes by the Boys School students were instigated and motivated one. It's not a simple case of students demanding infrastructure. Somebody else is pulling the strings." This sentiment echoes everywhere.

Many smelt a mystery behind all the happenings. They could not fix a reason why the students of Boys School would blame Tagore Government College of Education for their suffering. They kept asking a few very innocent questions like - Why only students of Boys School came out openly against the injustice when hundreds of schools in the Islands suffer same amount of misery?

A pinch of history will help in clearing the air about the 'mystery' and 'conspiracy' behind the 'sudden' outburst of the students.

Some counter questions will also help in unravelling the mystery. Why students should not protest if they are denied basic amenities? Why a bunch of old and senior citizens gathered at the venue of the strike showing solidarity with the striking students? Why should not students be awakened against injustices? Who are those sacred souls who abhor protests and the protestors against injustices? Why the Administration is in favour of lop-sided development, creating a bunch of haves and have-nots?

In fact, a major reason for our ignorance stems from our callous approach about our history and heritage, which we are losing on a day to day basis. 
Boys' School, the cradle of school education in the islands, is a part of the Island heritage. A large section of the local community is deeply attached to it as it was through this temple of learning that they came up in society and created a space for themselves in every field; be it in administration, medicine, engineering, armed forces, research or sports. Even today, alumni of this school form the backbone of the administration at senior and middle level.

The Govt Boys School was the first school of the Islands, started in South Point by the British. In 1912, Mr Geelani was the Headmaster of the school. He left the Islands after a short period of service. However, he was called back when the school was shifted to its present location at Middle Point and re-established on 20 May 1946 after the Japanese left the Islands. He continued as the Headmaster. Then the school was affiliated with the Rangoon Education Board.

"The apathy on our part and indifference on the part of successive principals of the School has brought it to this pass" admitted an alumni of the school. The decision of a Principal to make the school a co-educational institution with admission opened for girls was the first step towards the downfall of the school. The character and nature of the school changed.

The Boys School sent up the second largest number of students for Std XII and X examinations but had no regular principal for a long period. It took many decades for the Alumni to wake up and realize that something has gone wrong. By the time, internally and externally, huge damage had been done.

The teachers allege that since nineties when TGCE started spreading its tentacles, the Boy's School was invariably put under such principals who would be more amenable to the expansionist designs of the Principal, TGCE. Such principals compromised the interests of the school and allowed Dr Jaidev Singh to encroach upon the assets of the school one by one.

TGCE is like the proverbial camel who sought the permission of the Bedouin to put his head in to the tent to save himself from the sandstorm. A little later he pushed his shoulder in and, finally, the Bedouin was out and the camel had the tent all for himself" commented a retired teacher.

It was first the Teachers' Training Institute that had to bear the brunt of Tagore Govt College of Education. The TTI was shunted out to Garacharama. The job accomplished, the principal, TGCE turned to Boys' School.

With Ishwari Prasad Gupta, then Lieutenant Governor in his control, which still continues today, J D Singh had prepared a master plan for the whole vacant land - Construction of many buildings. He was successful to an extent to continue with his sinister designs, when after a long hiatus, the Alumni Association of Boys School could sense. They approached various Secretaries (Education) and convince them about the importance of Boys School. From M M Kutty, Rinku Dugga, Archana Arora and Saxena, they could save the school from complete annihilation. They issued orders in favour of Boys School.

A major portion of Boys School was under the control of TGCE for a long time. The massive Rs 4.00 crore- plus GDMS was constructed by TGCE and after a long fight has been now handed over to Boys School. But TGCE still retains the air-conditioned auditorium on first floor as well as a major portion as its hostel. Before the construction of this edifice, TGCE had encroached upon the Boys School for its hostel. The ingenious Dr Jaidev Singh desperately tried to expand the scope of TGCE by getting approval to run Institute of Advance Studies in Education. He had plans to earmark one floor of the new building for IASE and wanted to hold on to the buildings of Boys' school. But, the fight by the Alumni Association thwarted his plans.

Next, he ventured for construction of a massive auditorium right at the gate of Boy's School. Once completed, it would have totally blocked the view of the school. Secondly, for a mere 150 B Ed candidates already Rs 20 crore worth of buildings and furnishings and fixtures had been committed. The plan was again blocked by the Boys School Alumni Association and he had to satisfy with another auditorium, just next to the gate, inaugurated recently.

Neglect, apathy and indifference drips from every corner in the complex. The Boys School hostel is in the worst state of disrepair with plaster peeling off, electrical fittings hanging and the floor all badly damaged. There is no warden for the hostel. The Physical Education Teacher doubles as warden, who lives in the same hostel building. However, when such struggles are carried out, things go personal. The Physical Education Teacher has been a target of TGCE Principal.

The school with strength of 1200 students does not have the much required infrastructure.

No doubt, its government land. So, why two institutions are fighting over it? The dejected condition of most of the schools and other government properties are due to the apathy of its real owners - the common man. They could never envisage that it belongs to them. When the Alumni of Boys School saw the abuse of their institution, they could not bear it. Recently, when the wall demarcating the boundaries were constructed, TGCE once again tried to encroach; the present Secretary Education too felt that it was fine. The Alumni tried to approach the Lieutenant Governor, which could not materialize. A bunch of old citizens took up the fight and when they saw their struggle slipping away, they educated their young ones to carry on the fight.

Education Lost in the Course

THE LIGHT OF ANDAMANS | VOL: 35 | ISSUE: 26 | 03 FEBRUARY 2012

Education Lost in the Course

The major casualty in the fight between two government-owned educational institutions is unsurprisingly education itself. When do these people get time to teach when they are all engaged in disputes related with land and construction?

The dispute between TGCE and Boys School is now a long-drawn battle. The crisis at Dr BR Ambedkar Institute of Technology is also of similar nature. Huge edifices and facilities fill the DBRAIT campus which was even awarded ISO-9001. However, students of the institution rue the quality of education. With acute shortage of qualified and experienced faculties, students have started deserting the only engineering college of the territory. Moreover, the internecine cold war between the HoD and faculties affect the process of education adversely.

TGCE is another institution, which has the best buildings and facilities in the Islands. But, the quality of the teachers churned out by the institution tells a different story. Last year's CTET examination was a litmus test for the 'premier' institution, where all exams are conducted internally without any external supervision. "We have no data about the results," said a senior staff of TGCE. In fact, the overall result was far below average. The institution runs with the support of guest faculties. Speaking to LOA, a few students of the Integrated Course said that there are times, when students even do not know the syllabus. They were baffled when they saw the question paper. The problem with the integrated course is that without qualified faculties, they come out of the institution lacking knowledge in the subject. Otherwise, too, the institution has failed in preparing quality teachers.

Students who undergo a nine-month B Ed course get very little time in academics. They are always engaged in various extra-curricular activities and cultural programmes. B Ed should have been an intensive one-year training course. But, TGCE has better plans for the institution rather than the students. The construction spree continues without any break with all support from the Administration.

When on one hand, there are hundreds of government owned educational institutions without basic amenities, a very few institutions get all the favours and come up with five-star facilities. Some call it the vision of the HoDs of such institutions, but others call it unequal treatment and nepotism. If someone raises finger at this lop-sided approach, they call it jealousy.

The Govt Boys School, which had about 2 hectares of land around it with five playgrounds and a massive auditorium, has now been pushed to a corner with every inch of its land occupied by others. Now, if someone calls the occupant a visionary or an encroacher is a debatable issue.

Tagore Govt College of Education has just about 150 students. The kind of money spent on such a minuscule number is mind-boggling. Dr Jaidev Singh is a smooth talker. He knows how to get things done. The frequently arranged programmes inviting VIPs to inaugurate one or the other event; requesting them to make speeches works as a potent ego-massaging tool to ingratiate them and get the proposals through. The highly mobile directors of education unaware of the sanctity of an educational institution give in without a protest making it that much easier for TGCE to get what it wants.

Magnificent buildings and ostentations are no substitute for hard work. Let the performance and results speak for the institutions rather than the grandeur and opulence of the concrete structures and furnishings.

TGCE: Construction Division of APWD?

THE LIGHT OF ANDAMANS | VOL: 35 | ISSUE: 26 | 03 FEBRUARY 2012

TGCE: Construction Division of APWD?

Sometimes, constructions are a very destructive process. The whole campus of TGCE looks like a Construction Division of APWD with about five to six massive concrete structures covering the entire area turning it into a concrete jungle. There is a permanent Construction Site Office of APWD inside the campus which is self-explanatory. You cannot question the logic how same contractor gets all the construction work in the campus. The State Library, TGCE Building, GDMS Building and now a new 200-seat auditorium have enveloped the whole area.

Out of the four buildings, three were built for TGCE which has only 150-200 students. The GDMS built at a cost of Rs 4 crores is a massive structure with an air-conditioned auditorium. Speaking to LOA, a senior officer from the Directorate of Education said that "special attention cannot be given to any particular school as all schools in the Islands are covered under Right to Education (RTE) Act and should be treated equally." How many schools in the Islands have air-conditioned auditorium and fully tiled floors? Can the Directorate justify the five-star infrastructure of GDMS and the miserable condition of hundreds of schools of the Islands? Moreover, the oldest school of the Islands is struggling to manage its strength without proper infrastructure.

How many auditoriums do 150-200 students need? There are about three auditoriums - one inside the main TGCE building, another one in the GDMS building and now one separate auditorium inaugurated recently by the Lieutenant Governor, whereas the Boys School, which was the only school in the Islands which had a massive auditorium of its own, was usurped for construction of the State Library. The justification that the Principal or the Staff of TGCE is not going to take the building home after retirement at the outset seems too hard to digest.

Students Demand Basic Amenities

THE LIGHT OF ANDAMANS | VOL: 35 | ISSUE: 26 | 03 FEBRUARY 2012

Students Demand Basic Amenities

On 9th January 2012 and again after a week later, the students of Boys School staged dharnas protesting inaction from the Administration for not redressing their demands. They had raised the demand for a playground, multipurpose hall, parking shed, drinking water and toilet facilities.

The Director of Education agreed to consider the demands and issued a response.

On the instruction of the Principal Secretary, Education, the Principal TGCE was instructed to make open the closed gate between Boys School and GDMS School and give the students of Boys School access to the canteen. The APWD was instructed to remove the temporary structures in the compound and develop the area as playground. Speaking to LOA, R Devdas, Director of Education said that the playground is already there in the last plan and will be pursued and completed in 2012.

On multipurpose hall, Director informed that construction of a new auditorium is not possible. A decision regarding providing the already completed TGCE hall to Boys School is under consideration. However, the school authorities informed that the school has a combined strength of more than 1200 students and the 200-seater auditorium cannot serve any purpose. The Alumni members informed LOA that there is enough space near the existing DEO office to construct a 2000 capacity multi-purpose auditorium.

The demand for drinking water and toilet facilities are also being looked into by APWD. However, the delay in the process as well as a new wall coming up between the campus of TGCE and Boys School had forced the students to strike the second time.

Boys' School: A Zone of Destruction

THE LIGHT OF ANDAMANS | VOL: 35 | ISSUE: 26 | 03 FEBRUARY 2012

Boys' School: A Zone of Destruction

The Boys' School had four barracks, two halls and six playgrounds including the basketball field that TGCE claimed as its own. A Boys' Hostel had later come up in one of the playgrounds at the farthest westward end. A new block was added on the hilltop for classes X and XI in 1962.

The allotted land was 5000 sq. m but in actuality, 2.00 hectares of land was under its occupation and the Tahsildar, Port Blair confirmed that Boy's School was the sole allottee. The successive benevolent directors of education treated it like the property of the department rather than a historical institution of learning. Slowly the land of Boys' School was found to be the most convenient for all the buildings that the department needed. State Institute of Education, District Institute of Education & Training, Office of the Deputy Education Officer, South Andaman and the State Library everything found a place in the Boy's School Complex.

The number of playground started shrinking so much so that today, there is not a single playground. TGCE initially even did not allow the students of Boys' School to use the basketball court. Fortunately, the basket ball court too is liberated.

The complex resembles more to a construction and destruction zone rather than an educational institution.

Buffer Zone Case: SC Appoints Two-Member Commission

THE LIGHT OF ANDAMANS | VOL: 35 | ISSUE: 26 | 03 FEBRUARY 2012

Buffer Zone Case:

SC Appoints Two-Member Commission

To Submit Report Within Six Weeks

In the Buffer Zone Case between Barefoot and ANI Admn, the Supreme Court has appointed two advocates as Court Commissioners nominated by both parties.  Adv. T S Doabia on behalf of ANI Admn and Adv. Sanjay Upadhyay for Barefoot Inns and Leisures Pvt Ltd., will visit the Islands along with Ajay Saxena, Director, Tribal Welfare, AN Admn.

The Court Commissioners shall visit the Islands and submit a report to the Apex Court within next six weeks.

Earlier, the Court heard the counsels for the parties and perused affidavit dated 02.02.2012 of Shri Kuldip Singh Thakur, Deputy Resident Commissioner, Andaman and Nicobar Administration.

The expenses of the Court Commissioners for their visit to the Islands and stay shall be borne by the Andaman and Nicobar Administration, which shall also extend other facilities to the Court Commissioners. The fees of the Court Commissioners shall be determined after submission of the report by them.

Jarawa and Media Lies

THE LIGHT OF ANDAMANS | VOL: 35 | ISSUE: 26 | 03 FEBRUARY 2012

Jarawa and Media Lies

With the Jarawa videos hitting the mainstream media, there has been a flow of news reports with half baked truths, myths and baseless expert comments of different shades.

By Staff Reporter

The media as well as many columnists have taken a plunge into the Jarawa video issue without bothering to get their facts right. A series of articles and comments have been appearing in the media. A few excerpts:

“First exposed by tribal rights group Survival International in 2010 and brought to light by an unsettling video uploaded by The Observer last month, dozens of visitors to the remote Andaman Islands -- between India and Burma in the Bay of Bengal -- queue up daily at dawn to drive through a jungle reserve set aside for the Jarawa tribe. The tourists then toss scraps of food to the half-naked natives, commanding them to dance. The video footage posted online is the kind of exotic encounter some tourists dream about when they set out on a so-called "safari," but the practice is both devastating and humiliating for the tribe involved."

Moreover, the kind of ignorance about the tribes, geography and history of the Islands, have filled the media with comments from people who might be part of the process of framing policy for the Islands and the tribes.

The most surprising part is the comments coming from the Tribal Affairs Minister, V Kishore Chandra Deo. When the population of the tribe is increasing gradually and medical intervention is taken care of, he is in a shock how the tribe has survived all these years.

"Jarawas need to be immunised and probably medical experts and anthropologists will have to study and tell us how they existed all these years and what needs to be done now," Tribal Affairs Minister V Kishore Chandra Deo said.

On whether the government is planning to form a team of experts to conduct studies on the Jarawas, he said, "Lot of people have already gone into these areas and lot of studies have been done and papers written.

"Now it is a question of contacting them (the experts) and having some intellectual discourse with them before we come to some kind of decision."

He said that "utmost importance" should be given to increase their immunity, adding, "Probably nutrition is another thing which can do this and their existence.

"Their health and food needs have to be looked into and it can be done there itself. They are very few in numbers and it is important to see that they don't dwindle further, that their population itself is not at stake," Deo said.

In a report, the Tribal Affairs Minister told PTI, "The problem inside is the ATR which joins Port Blair with the Great Nicobar, it passes through that area. If ATR is closed, then the alternative routes will be the sea and aerial route."

"Considered as the life-line of the Great Nicobar island, the ATR is used to run convoys of food and other essential supplies to Nicobar."

In another report, Harsh Mander, Member, National Advisory Council (NAC) told The Tribune, Chandigarh. "We are talking of the Andamanese and the Sentinelese who are not able to survive ever since they came into contact with the world outside. Our policy must ensure their protection and we will work on the policy for the next four to five months."

An unknown spokesperson for Andaman and Nicobar Admn has been quoted by media saying that "It is likely that some foreign NGOs may be in possession of some more old video footage, as these have been in circulation on the Internet, to selectively release them to sensationalising the issue with the ulterior aim of putting pressure for closure of the Andaman Trunk Road, the lifeline of more than one lakh people inhabiting North and Middle Andamans."

"It closed down all such tourism activities (including government-run establishments) which could have impacted on the Jarawa interests," the unknown spokesperson further added.

DNA editorialised the issue and said: "Ten years after the Supreme Court ordered closure of the Andaman Trunk Road, which traverses through Jarawa land, violating their right to a peaceful life, the Union territory's administration claims to be looking at alternative routes to connect Greater Nicobar with Andaman, implying that it has coolly ignored the order of the highest court in the land so far.

"It is one thing to protect these primitive tribes from external forces, quite another to influence their mores through unwanted interaction. The 'civilised' world cannot arrogate to itself the right to judge these tribes, much less destroy their lives and habitat. Let's face it: it was not the Jarawa who wanted us there; we have transgressed into their territory without so much as a by your leave. Describing their lands as part of our country and disturbing them in the name of our laws is nothing but colonisation in disguise."

"If the tribes in the Andamans are indeed full Indian citizens, the government must exert itself to ensure that they are allowed to live freely the way they want without being disturbed by outside forces."

"If the only way to do that is to evacuate all the interlopers living there, so be it."

Another shocker news says that more torture videos of Jarawa tribe emerges... There is no end to it.

Many columnists of regard were offering solutions that were readily available on Port Blair streets. One of them even offered them 100 days of employment through the central scheme MNREGA. Jarawas are much better in their forest reserve and needs all protection from the onslaught of such experts and media.

EDITORIAL: Jarawa Video Safari Continues...

THE LIGHT OF ANDAMANS | VOL: 35 | ISSUE: 26 | 03 FEBRUARY 2012

EDITORIAL:

Jarawa Video Safari Continues...

The second round of Jarawa video safari has got everything wrong from the word go. The news item states that 'new' videos reveal Indian police role and complacence, and in fact the videos are not date-stamped. How did the videos become new? Was the video shot after the last news report by the Guardian or 'Observer? The news seems to be misleading as it says that 'human safaris' continue with the connivance of police. Nobody will deny that such things have happened in the past. But to suggest by showing old video clips that such safaris are continuing is absolutely misleading.

In fact, everyone knows that there are many videos made during the last one decade. The presentation of news on international as well as national media about Jarawas were always abstract which creates more confusion among the readers and viewers. The means adopted to achieve the end has made a mockery of the whole issue. There has been a long pending Supreme Court Order for closure of two stretches of Andaman Trunk Road, which passes through Jarawa Reserve. However, the sensationalization  has entirely shifted the focus from the main issue. Once a video clip is released, the attention turns towards the particular video and its perpetrators.

Moreover, any decision by the Government of India will be taken after thorough investigations into the allegations. The exaggerated reports cannot stand any investigation as the 'human safaris' does not continue the way depicted in the news. If the NGO was concerned about the Jarawas, it should have taken a holistic view. Instead of focussing on Andaman Trunk Road alone, they should have been advocating the issue of Jarawas at Tirur and Kadamtala too, which is not happening. In fact, Jarawas at Tirur are more vulnerable to outside influence than the Jarawas at Middle Strait or Andaman Trunk Road.

The issue of closure of Andaman Trunk Road is in Supreme Court of India. Why Survival International is not taking any step to file a contempt of court, if it really thinks that the issue needs to be addressed.

The downside is that Andaman and Nicobar Admn too lacks the will power to even attempt closure of tourism on Andaman Trunk Road. Such a decision would have sent a stern message. Sensitizing the tour operators is another gimmick that is not going to pay off. Complete halt of tourism on ATR will reduce the overall traffic on the road. The road referred as the lifeline can be literally used as a life line - for transportation of goods, public transport vehicles and emergency medical evacuations.

The shadowboxing by Survival International using different platforms including the British Parliament, based on some old videos might do more harm by antagonising local sentiments. Rather than sensationalizing the issue, as the issue is subjudice, its sensible to fight the legal battle and settle the issue, which no one seems to be interested in.

PAUPER’S LOG: A Right for The Wrong

THE LIGHT OF ANDAMANS | VOL: 35 | ISSUE: 26 | 03 FEBRUARY 2012

PAUPER’S LOG:

A Right for The Wrong

By Abu Arsh

The Right to Information Act has been a land mark legislation enacted by the UPA government granting every citizen a right to know how the Government is functioning. Right to Information empowers every citizen to seek any information from the Government, inspect any Government documents and seek certified photocopies thereof. Some laws on Right to Information also empower citizens to official inspect any Government work or to take sample of material used in any work.

"Information" would mean any material in any form, including records, documents, memos, e-mails, opinions, advices, press releases, circulars, orders, logbooks, contracts, reports, papers, samples, models, data material held in any electronic form and information relating to any private body which can be accessed by a public authority under any other law for the time being in force.

"Record" includes any document, manuscript and file. Any microfilm, microfiche, and facsimile copy of a document, reproduction of image or images embodied in such microfilm (whether enlarged or not); and other material produced by a computer or any other device;

An applicant cannot ask for opinions/advice/views under the RTI Act, unless the opinion/advice/view is already on "record". However, under Section 4(1)(d), an applicant can ask for "reasons" behind a administrative or quasi judicial decision of a public authority, especially if he is a "affected person".

Armed with access to such information and power, the RTI act is intended to bring in transparency and curb corruption in Government and Public/Private Sector, both of elected representatives and officials. In respect of the uneducated and the poor there is disuse of the Act. No doubt the Right to Information Act is a big gift. At the same time the ACT cannot be misused or abused. We have instances of wrong use of it. There are people for whom the misuse has become a hobby or pastime. They keep shooting letters under RTI. For some others it is sadism that drives them. The third category is those who misuse the ACT to harass someone whom they don't like or have enmity.

The ACT has given rise to mushrooming of RTI activists all over the country and these Islands are no exception. Major difference here has been that the local activists are outright blackmailers and tormentors trying to gain a better bargaining capacity with the snobbish, self-centered and corrupt babus or netas. Many bureaucrats complain that like any other law in India, the RTI Act is also getting misused. There are two types of apprehensions, one that officers will be blackmailed and the other that they will be harassed because of too many applications. As far as the first apprehension goes, you can only be blackmailed if you have done something wrong. Therefore, rather than demanding that information should not be shared because wrong acts have been committed, it would be better to stop doing wrong things because information will be shared.

As our Islands abound with people at high places doing things most arbitrarily, the activists or blackmailers have made fortunes pursuing them under RTI Act. For the poor and the less informed getting information under the ACT is an exercise, he'd rather like to forget as he is made to find his way through innumerable mazes until he breaks down and gives up. There is lack of awareness and information about the ACT amongst the common man. The same very people who are the worst offenders are made to propagate and popularize the ACT. Few departments receive a large number of applications. As per a NCPRI survey looking over three hundred departments across the country and at differing levels. The data that emerges suggests that in almost all these departments, a public information officer does not spend more than one or two hours a week (average of between 12 and 24 minutes per working day) on RTI related work. The ACT is still to realize its true potential here by the right people. The RTI Act can realize its true potential if those few public authorities where there is greater pressure like the Revenue department and other departments can make things much easier for itself if it periodically assess the type of information the citizens want, and put this suo moto in the public domain, as required under Section 4 of the RTI act.

A Prelude to the Quest for Kalapathar

THE LIGHT OF ANDAMANS | VOL: 35 | ISSUE: 26 | 03 FEBRUARY 2012

A Prelude to the Quest for Kalapathar

By Prof. Clare Anderson


At the start of the year 2011, I came across two boxes of letters in the archives of the India Office, in London. The letters dated from 1874-77, and were written by the Reverend Thomas L.J. Warneford, who at that time was part of the colonial administration of the Andamans penal colony. Forbidden to proselytize amongst the Indian convicts, his role was to minister to the Islands' British residents, from the elite classes (chief commissioner, senior medical officer and so on) to Anglo-Indians and ordinary soldiers. Among his achievements was the setting up of free education for the children of convicts - who were growing in number even as early as the 1870s.

The letters were from Warneford to his daughter, Maude, who following a childhood in India and the Andamans had returned to England, aged 10. The letters are deeply personal and affecting. The reverend calls Maude his 'little woman,' sends news of household pets - dogs, rabbits, cats, goats, parrots, pigeons and even a tortoise - and writes in detail of the garden that they had created together. He describes the scriptural readings, music and hymns sung in Port Blair's Christ Church. He frequently implores her to remember her experiences in the islands - the way she decorated the church altar for services, the chapatis she ate each morning for breakfast, the friends that she had made. He passes on Maude's greetings to their convict boatmen and servants, and reminds her that she used to teach them their 'English letters.' He tells her that a recently released convict servant 'wants to go home with me … to see Miss Maud or Missie Baba as he calls you … He often talks of you.' Finally, father often signs his letters with row upon row of kisses, with sighs about how much he misses his daughter, and that he hopes to see her soon. He thanks her for her many letters, and complains that Maud's older brother, Reggie, also by then in England, does not write to him as often as he would like.

Beyond the pain of the separation of father, daughter and son, we learn also from the letters of the family's tragedy - the death and burial of the reverend's wife (Maud and Reggie's mother) in Calcutta. He sometimes lists the contents of parcels that he has posted to England, gifts for his children including personal items that once belonged to his wife and now gifted to Maud - a brooch, a fan, a shawl, a comb.

Father and daughter also sent small items to each other, as the reverend reminds Maud of their life together in the Andamans, and Maud tells her father about her efforts at English gardening and other pursuits. Peacock feathers, pressed flowers, ferns and photographs … tiny fragments of history fell from between the creases and folds of pages, untouched by human hands for over one hundred years. And then my eyes came to rest on one letter. Dated 4 May 1876, Warneford describes to Maud a visit to the local beauty spot, Mount Harriet. He reminds her of the many happy times they had there, collecting shells and catching pigeons on the way. 'Went to the "rock" … and cut out your name MAUD about 4 inches long,' he writes, 'Reggie's is also there.'

With a research trip to the Andamans imminent, I made a careful note to go and look for it …

The author teaches at University of Leicester

Oceans are Maritime Highways: Admiral Nirmal Verma

THE LIGHT OF ANDAMANS | VOL: 35 | ISSUE: 26 | FRIDAY | 03 FEBRUARY 2012

Oceans are Maritime Highways:
Admiral Nirmal Verma

Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Nirmal Verma has stressed the Navy's commitment to ensuring a stable and secure regional environment for the "economic development and social uplift of the masses" in India's neighbourhood. "We carry out coordinated patrols with some of our neighbours. We have also been undertaking EEZ [exclusive economic zone] surveillance on request from some governments."

"Oceans today are not expanses of water that divide continents, but maritime highways that link nations," Admiral Verma on Friday told delegates from 14 countries who are participating in Milan-2012, the eighth edition of a biennial initiative of the Navy to forge working-level jointmanship and interoperability among the Navies of the region. The aim is to ensure faster humanitarian assistance and disaster relief response, better counter piracy and anti-poaching measures and prevention of contraband smuggling and human trafficking.

Referring to the Indian Ocean Region as a 'critical economic highway' for a predominant chunk of its oil, cargo and container traffic, Admiral Mehta cautioned that any challenge to this energy and trade seaway could lead to major conflict. That would hit regional and global economies. "Ensuring energy security is, therefore, a major maritime issue of common concern," he said in his keynote address at a seminar on 'Capacity-building through Maritime Cooperation.'

The pervasive enemy today was not 'some belligerent nation-state,' but malevolent non-state actors. "There is more to fighting piracy than military action," he added, calling for a collective initiative to combat the menace, which was a "spill-over of governance deficit, myriad socio-economic issues and lawlessness."

Lieutenant-General (retd.) Bhopinder Singh, Lieutenant-Governor of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, said in his address that current economic challenges demanded maritime interdependencies. "Our combined efforts can postulate joint doctrines… to prevent, deter, limit and localise conflicts and disruptions to the global system that we all rely upon."

During the proceedings of the seminar, five professional papers were presented. The seminar was conducted in two sessions, focusing on issues pertaining to Cooperation framework for capacity building for undertaking regional Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) Operations in the first session and Marine             Co-operation for ensuring unfettered use of the seas in the second session. Vice Admiral (Retd) Pradeep Kaushiva, UYSM, VSM and Ambassador HK Singh presented papers during the first session, while Lt Gen (Retd) Prakash Menon, PVSM, AVSM, VSM, Ph.D, Dr.Euan Graham, Senior Fellow, RSIS, Singapore and Admiral (Retd) Arun Prakash, AVSM, VrC, VSM presented papers during the second session. The Seminar culminated with a brainstorming open house session wherein all participants and speakers discussed to evolve newer and effective concepts in the field of Maritime Cooperation & HADR operations. The seminar concluded with closing address by Lt Gen NC Marwah, PVSM, AVSM, Commander-in-Chief, Andaman and Nicobar Command. In his address he thanked the delegates for their contribution towards success of the seminar.

This edition of Milan is the largest since its inception in 1995, with representatives from Australia, Bangladesh, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Maldives, Mauritius and Seychelles participating in it. Of these, Maldives, Mauritius and Seychelles are first-timers at the event.

Nicobar District Bags MGNREGA Award

THE LIGHT OF ANDAMANS | VOL: 35 | ISSUE: 26 | FRIDAY | 03 FEBRUARY 2012

Nicobar District Bags MGNREGA Award

Ministry of Rural Development, Govt. of India presented the award for Initiative in MGNREGA Administration for the year 2010-11 to the Nicobar District Team of Andaman & Nicobar Union Territory led by Rupesh Kumar Thakur, DC (Nicobar)/DPC in a solemn function held at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi on Feb 2, 2012. The award was presented by the Prime Minister of India, Dr. Manmohan Singh.  Sonia Gandhi, Chairperson UPA & NAC, Jairam Ramesh, Minister of Rural Development, SPradeep Kumar Jain, and Sisir Kumar Adhikari, Ministers of State for Rural Development also graced the occasion.

Nicobar District is one amongst the six best Districts selected in the country for this award. The District was selected on the basis of recommendation of Expert/Screening committee of MoRD under the category “Initiative in the challenging environment”. The expert committee while on visit to Car Nicobar appreciated the efforts of Administration in dovetailing MGNREGA with Car Nicobar Coconut Mission. Taking into account the fact that coconut tree was the tree of life for Nicobari community, Car Nicobar Coconut Mission was launched by the Lt. Governor Bhopinder Singh on Jan 28, 2009.

A delegation of Nicobari leaders, Adhyaksh, South Andaman Zila Parishad, Adhyaksh Zila Parishad, North & Middle Andaman, Chairperson PBMC and Chairperson SSWAP also attended the above function. The members of delegation also had some informal interaction with the Minster of Rural Development, S Jairam Ramesh.

Workshop on Energy Conservation Held

THE LIGHT OF ANDAMANS | VOL: 35 | ISSUE: 26 | FRIDAY | 03 FEBRUARY 2012

Workshop on Energy Conservation Held

The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) organised a training workshop for school teachers on energy conservation and its efficient use' under the aegis of  the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), Ministry of Power.

Inaugurating the workshop, Dr R Devdas, Director (Education), highlighted the importance of incorporating energy into different subjects. He urged all the teachers to inculcate all the inputs gained during the workshop into classroom teaching.  The workshop was organized in collaboration with the Dte. of Education at Siksha Sadan, Port Blair on 7th February 2012. The training was conducted by Ms Neha and Mr V K Saju from the Educating Youth for Sustainable Development Division, TERI - New Delhi, which is headed by Ms Ranjana Saikia. More than 65 teachers from various government and private schools attended the training.