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From Penal Settlement to Capital Town: Human Ecological Aspect of the Rise and Growth of Port Blair

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From Penal Settlement to Capital Town: Human Ecological Aspect of the Rise and Growth of Port Blair FROM PENAL SETTLEMENT TO CAPITAL TOWN: HUMAN ECOLOGICAL ASPECT OF THE RISE AND GROWTH OF PORT BLAIR KAILASH From Penal Settlement to capital town, unabated population pressure in Port Blair and its vicinity has affected the island's ecology and environment. However, a unique human ecology is progressing along with several environmental intricacies like potable water scarcity, insanitation and marine pollution. This study attempts to review the process of urbanisation in the Andamans on the one hand and the factors in human ecology of the capital town on the other. Dr. Kailash is a Lecturer, Unit for Urban Studies, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Deonar, Bombay. From the beginning of social existence on earth, man has abused the physical environment — whether it was the establishment of settlements or beginning of agricultural practices, mining and manufacturing industries or construction of dams, reservoirs, roads and large buildings and so on, it all happened against the established norms of ecosystem. In the Andamans, some of these activities took place since the beginning of the Penal Settlement in 1858 when there was large- scale depletion of forest land for the expansion of the settlement. This practice still continues over large areas in different islands. The growing population pressure from the Indian mainland is damaging the physical environment. The gradual expansion of urban phenomena from one island to another is taking place simul­ taneously. Thus, a unique cultural set up has evolved in the capital, Port Blair. The human adaptation and the controls over the adverse ecological conditions remained the focus of the study made by Lal 1962; Sen 1954,1957,1959 and 1962; and Sinha 1952. The objective of this paper is to analyse the geographical and environmental factors in the human ecology of Port Blair town. Inception of the Penal Settlement The hidden strategic importance of the Andamans was discovered when convicts had to be encamped in the settlement. Located in the neighbourhood of South-East Asian countries, these islands have a commanding position over the region. The Britishers successfully wiped out the possible challenge of colonisation of these islands by other West European Countries. The British rule in the Andamans was extended to the Nicobar Islands in 1869 by a treaty with Denmark (Local Gazetteer, 1908:50). The first attempt to establish a settlement was made by the well-known marine surveyor Captain Archibald Blair in September 1789, but was abandoned in 1796 because of climatic and health reasons. During the Governor Generalship of Lord Cornwallis, Archibald Blair was sent in 1788 for a site survey for the location of a settlement in Andamans. He found 'Mask Island' (Chatham) to be suitable for the settlement. The chief considerations for site selection were the protection of the ships from climatic disturbances as well as its navigational potentiality throughout 426 Kailash the year. Drinking water facility in Chatham was another issue in favour of the settlement location. On October 17,1789, Blair built a wharf and fitted it with ranger guns for purposes of safety. In 1792, this settlement was shifted to the North-East Harbour or 'New Harbour' (Port Cornwallis) near Smith Island in North Andaman. The abandoned site at Chatham was named 'Old Harbour'. Under Colonel Alexander Kyd, the settlement at 'New Harbour' flourished but the unhealthy climate caused a high death rate. This settlement was abolished in 1796. At the time of desertion it had 270 'convicts' and 550 'free settlers' (mostly Bengalees). The growing discontent among the Indian masses against the British rule, the popular movement for freedom, the Sepoy Mutiny in Oudh and United Province (Uttar Pradesh) in 1857 compelled the Britishers to consider establishing the Penal Settlement in Andamans so that convicts and mutineers may be shifted there. The 'Andaman Commission' headed by Dr. F.J. Mouat, with Dr. C.R. Playfair and Lt. J.H. Heathcote as members, was constituted in 1857 to find an appropriate location for the settlement. After careful observation of Old Harbour, the commission returned to Calcutta and in January, 1858 suggested the original site of first settlement and named it 'Port Blair' in honour of the distinguished hydrographer Lt. Archibald Blair. The superintendent of the New Settlement, Dr. J.P. Walkar along with four English officers and 200 convicts arrived at Port Blair on February 1,1858 and reestablished the settlement in March. The settlement was called 'Penal Settlement' (Majumdar, 1975). Captain E.H. Man took possession of the Andaman Island in the name of the Honourable East India Company. Spatial Expansion and Growth of Penal Settlement In the beginning, only Chatham was cleared of its dense forests. A 'free colony' was constructed in the middle of the island. Initially, it was occupied by the European officers and Indian convicts but later, it was converted for hospital patients, conva­ lescents and convicts employed in a saw mill located in the eastern part of the island. The shed was temporary so many of the officers, especially from the administrative block were shifted to Ross Island (0.70 sq.km). Residents of the headquarters included a majority of the civil and military officers, the European troops, detach­ ments of native infantry and police and convicts. Haddo and Atlanta Point were also cleared in the first phase. The second phase of territorial expansion started during General Sir Robert Napier's inspection (1863) of the settlement. Construction of the settlement started in Viper Island and the small clearings at Aberdeen, Mithakhari, Hope Town and Mount Harriet were completed by the convicts. The inhabitants in Viper Island settlement were hospital patients, convalescents and chain-gang prisoners in several separate buildings (Man, 1883). About 8,000 convicts had been sent to these settlements. Construction of a short distance road from Homfrays Ghat to Tyler's Ghat through Port Mouat was undertaken. A small piece of 149 acre cultivated land and 3,294 convicts in 1865, increased to 724 acres cleared land, 353 acres cultivated land and 6,965 convicts in 1867. At the end of General Man's administration in 1887, about 3,000 acres (2,814 acres mentioned in Local Gazet­ teer, 1908) had been cleared, out of which 876 acres were brought under cultivation. The number of convicts in the settlement totalled 8,373. From Penal Settlement to Capital Town 427 In 1870, Lord Mayo, the then Governor-General of India, chalked out several programmes to improve the general condition of the settlement. The expansion of agricultural pursuits was necessary for the self-sufficiency of the settlement. This was not possible until a good number of agricultural workers, cultivators and labourers were available. Consequently, the convicts' families were encouraged to settle on cleared land. For the first time the 'Local Born' or 'free population' came into prominence. There were 3,000 'Local Boms' in 1921. The area of the settlement was further expanded with the clearance of more land for cultivation and hut construction. The most important period in the history of Penal Settlement was the administration of Colonel Sir Richard Tempsle (1894-1903) and Colonel Douglas (1903-1920) when the 'Cellular Jail' was built near Atlanta Point. Adjoining this was the Associ­ ated Jail. At the end of 1894-95, 22,306 acres of land were cleared, out of which 10,140 acres of land were under cultivation including 4,425 acres for government plantation of tea, coffee, hemp, cocoa, coconuts, vegetables, limes, arrowroot, Indian rubber, tapioca, indigo and vanilla. The remaining 5,715 acres were held by the free population and convict cultivators. In the beginning of the twentieth century, the Penal Settlement centred round the harbour of Port Blair, the South Andaman and the islets attached there and covered 762 sq.km. of area. Of this are, 527 sq.km. (9.16 per cent) may be said to be in actual occupation. The unoccupied area was mainly dense forest. The occupied area was partly cleared for cultivation, grazing and habitation and partly afforested. A large part of the unoccupied area was infested (is still infested) by the hostile Jarwas, but they are gradually retreating northward following increasing forest operations, over the entire official area of the Penal Settlement (Local Gazetteer, 1908). The Penal Settlement was divided into stations where convicts were placed after detention in the Cellular Jail, and villages, where free residents resided. According to the 1931 census, the process of forest clearance and land reclamation brought about 12,000 acres of land under agriculture out of a total of 45,000 acres (more than 182 sq.km.). The total agricultural population (7,000) was settled in free colonies (Bonington, 1932). Of the 11,359 earners recorded in the Andamans (Port Blair), 2622 (23 per cent) were earning their livelihood by agriculture and pasture. It is however, noticeable that above 50 per cent of the total population was dependent on agriculture for their means of livelihood since most of the agriculturists were married and, on an average, their families comprised of five persons. Ethnic Composition The original population in Andamans were the aboriginals. Port Blair has assimilated the multifaceted character and culture of the people from the Indian sub-continent and the South-East Asian countries. Convicts, rebels and prisoners from most of the states in our country made up the Andaman population. The 1931 census has recorded the details of convicts of mainland sent to Port Blair (Bonington, 1932). Before the outsiders (non-tribals) arrived in Port Blair, the entire area was inhabitated by the Negritos. Their number was about 5,000. Inter-group clashes were prevalent because of territorial interference. They opposed not only the clearings of forest and 428 Kailash encroachment thereon, but organised several attacks on the convicts and the Britishers engaged in the clearing.
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