L-10 GHADARI BABAS IN KALAPANI JAIL

-DR. HARISH K. PURI

 

SHORT Q/A

Q.1. List a few key members of Ghadar Party.

Ans. Key members were Lala Hardyal, V.G. Pingley, Sant Baba Vasakha Singh, Sohan Singh Bhakna and Kartar Singh Sarbha. Some key members of the Ghadar Party were: Baba Sohan Singh Bhakna, Baba Nidhan Singh, Kartar Singh Sarabha and Vishnu Ganesh Pingley.

 

Q.2. What was the mode of torturing brave fighters by the British Government?

Ans. They were forced to work at the oil mill and whipped in public. They were also kept in dirty cells. The freedom fighters were forced to work on the oil mill to extract at least 30 pounds of coconut oil. They had to pound coconut husk to produce coir threads. If the quantity was less they were abused and whipped.

 

Q.3. Write the other two names for 'cellular jail'.

Ans. ‘KalaPani’ and ‘The Devil’s Island’. The other two names for cellular jail were: 'The Devil's Island' and `Kala Pani Jail'.

 

 

Q.4. What were the physical conditions of the cellular jail?

Ans. The cellular jail was very dirty and had bad weather. It was full of mosquitoes and leeches. The cellular jail was an area infested with mosquitoes, wet and blood sucking leeches: The weather was thoroughly bad.

 

Q.5. Who were the chief governing officials in the 1 cellular jail?

Ans. Jailor David Barry and Superintendent Murray. The chief governing officials of the cellular jail were the Jailor David Barry, the Superintendent Murray and the Chief Commissioner.

 

Q. 6. How were the 'convicts' punished when they failed to work properly?

Ans. They were abused and given thirty whip lashes in the public. They were abused, humiliated and ill-treated. They were tortured and whipped also.

 

Q.7. Who were addressed as 'demi-gods' and why?

Ans. Old criminals and Jamadars were called ‘demi-gods’. They ill-treated all the prisoners. The warders, patty officers and jamadars of the jail were addressed as 'demi-gods'. They derived sadistic pleasure in torturing the political prisoners.

 

Q.8. What was the mantra of Ghadarites, right in the beginning of their conviction period?

Ans. Their mantra was not to suffer any insult. Right in the beginning, the Ghadarites resolved not to suffer any indignity or abuse without a determined retaliation.

 

Q.9. Why was Jyotish Chandra Pal removed to a mental hospital?

Ans. He passed blood in stool due to hunger strike. Jyotish Chandra Pal was on a long hunger strike. He passed blood in stool. He refused to relent. After a month he went totally mad and was removed to a mental hospital.

 

Q.10. Why did jail authorities discontinue some of their practices of bad treatment?

Ans. The long hunger strikes forced them to stop the bad treatment. The determined collective resistance of the political prisoners forced the jail authorities to discontinue some of their practices of bad treatment.

 

Ans1 The Ghadar Party was founded by the Punjabi Indians in U.S.A. And Canada. The important members were Lala Hardyal, Baba Sohan Singh Bhakna, V.G.Pingley and many more. Their aim was to free India from Britsh Rule. Their revolt was failed in 1915. Their movement was crushed by Britsh Government. All the members were kept in a special jail, called the Cellular jaiI. This jail known as Kala Pani Jail. They were treated very badly there. They were forced to do hard jobs. They were given bad food. Many were hanged to death. But they all were ready to die for their motherland India.

Ans2 The cellular jail known as Kala Pani jail/ The Devil’s Island. David Barry was the Superintendent of the jail (jailor). Murray was the Chief Commissioner. They all are heartless and cruel. The jail was situated at the Port Blair Island. The weather conditions were not good. The freedom fighters were kept in dirty and lonely cells. They were forced to do hard jobs. They were given bad food. They were beaten, abused and whipped in public.

Ans3 The weather was very bad. The jail was full of mosquitoes and blood sucking leeches. The food was very bad. As a result they were sick with dysentery and other diseases. The freedom fighters were kept in dirty and lonely cells. They were forced to do hard jobs like work at Kohlu. They were treated very badly there. They were beaten, abused and whipped in public.

Ans4 David Barry was the jailor. He would address every new group of political prisoners. He asked them to follow the rules and orders. He would say, “if you disobey me, my God help you! Remember that God does not come within three miles of Port Blair. The red turbans you see there are warders. And those in black are pety offcers. You must obey them”

 

The Ghadar party was an organization founded by Indians in U.S.A. and Canada. The important members were Baba Sohan Singh Bhakna, Lala Hardayal, V.G. Pingley and many more. Their aim was to free India from British rule. The cellular jail known as Kala Pani jail was built to punish the freedom fighters. The Ghadar party members were brought to this jail. They were treated very badly in this jail. They were given hard work to do and offered bad food. But they were ready to die for their 'matribhumi'.

 

 

 

Points to remember

 

1)      The author of the chapter is Dr. Harish K Puri.

2)      Ghadar party was founded by Punjabi Indians of U.S.A. and Canada.

4)      The main members were Baba Sohan Singh Bhakna, Baba Nidhan Singh, Kartar Singh Sarabha and V.G. Pingley.

5)      Their aim was to free India from British rule.

 

6)      The Ghadar party members returned to Punjab when World War-1 broke out.

7)      To punish freedom fighters, British government built a special jail in Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

8)      This Cellular Jail was also known as Kala Pani Jail or the Devil’s Island.

9)      Cellular Jail was opened in 1906.

10)    The first group of Ghadarites were bought to this jail in 1915.

11)    The food and weather conditions were very bad.

12)    The freedom fighters were mostly sick due to bad food and weather.

13)    The superintendent of the jail was David Berry.

14)    The chief commissioner of the jail was Murray.

15)    On the oil mill (kohlu), they had to extract 30 pounds of coconut oil everyday.

16)    The prisoners were given 30 lashes of whip if production was less.

17)    David Barry and Murray were known as butchers or the sons of Satan.

18)    Barin Ghose was brother of Aurobindo Ghose.

19)    He was convicted in Alipore conspiracy case.

20)    The name of V.D. Savarkar's brother was Ganesh Savarkar.

21)    Kehar Singh was 62 years old.

22)    Nani Gopal's hunger strike lasted for 72 days.

23)    The political prisoners faced torture by singing Vande Matram and Gurbani.