The stories of kalapani and Andoman cellular jails really fascinated me for a long time. It was in March this year I visited along with my friend. Landing in Port Blair, I found it oven-hot and hotter than Chennai. Having gone there we had to stay back. Lodged near the Sea shore, hardly we could get breeze and even the evening walks along the coast did not get the desired coolness. May be we went at the wrong time. The visits to three Islands was equally pathetic. There was no arrangement no shelter in these islands for the tourists. We could just visit these places and come back to the boat. These islands were equally hot and coral reef island, full of coral reefs visible to naked eye may be the only satisfaction. Even that Island was hot. We could chill it by just staying in cool waters. The Port Blair is a town famous for the Cellular jail in which the political prisoners were held. The visit in the hot summer was not a pleasant one but reminded us the suffering of our freedom fighters. We could not stand the heat for half an hour and it was amazing as to how these freedom fighters stayed there braving the heat and torture for years till their release. Some died unable to withstand the torture and the rest who could brave, lived to see the indpendence of India. My heart goes to them, as in the evening the light and sound show reminded us about the fate of these prisoners. We were moved by the stories narrated to us the torture and hanging of the innocent freedom fighters.
