Andaman & Nicobar

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands, an archipelago of 572 islands in the Bay of Bengal, form a significant part of India's eastern maritime frontier. Adding nearly 2,000 kilometers to the country's 7,500-kilometer coastline, these islands are not only geographically extensive but also strategically vital. They play a key role in advancing India's Look East Policy and enhancing maritime security in the face of growing regional challenges, particularly China's increasing influence.

Historically rich and geographically pivotal, the islands became a part of India’s colonial legacy following British annexation. Their subsequent integration into modern India underscores their continued importance in the nation's maritime and geopolitical landscape. Join us as we delve into the islands’ rich history and their enduring strategic relevance.

The Andaman Islands are home to the oldest out-of-Africa migrants—namely the Onges, Jarawas, Sentinelese, and Andamanese—whose genetic traces date back approximately 65,000 years. These groups show the least overlap with later migrations into mainland India, such as the Harappans and Steppe migrants. In contrast, the Nicobarese and Shompens belong to Mongoloid stock, which is traced to later migrations.

Historically, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands have garnered significant attention from various notable figures and travelers, including Ptolemy, Marco Polo, and the Chinese monk I-Ching, as early as the second century CE. However, attempts to establish a colonial base in the late 18th century were thwarted by disease and harsh conditions, leading to the abandonment of the initial settlement.

Despite these setbacks, the British retained interest in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands (specifically Port Cornwallis) due to their strategic location along the East India Company’s trading route, which served as a refuge for shipwrecked vessels and sailors. Interest in recolonizing the islands intensified after the Great Indian Revolt of 1857, resulting in the deportation of 200 freedom fighters to the islands in 1858, where they faced extremely harsh conditions.

The Great Andamanese, a tribal group indigenous to the islands, began resisting British control to reclaim their ancestral lands. This resistance culminated in three raids in 1859, events collectively known as the Battle of Aberdeen.

An incident in Port Blair in 1872 sent shockwaves across the British Empire. Lord Mayo, the Viceroy of India, was assassinated in Port Blair by Sher Ali Afridi, a Pashtun from the North West Frontier Province, who had been jailed in the Andamans. During the 1870s, prisoners in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands endured sub-human living conditions, worsened by diseases like malaria and dysentery, leading to many deaths. Additionally, they were subjected to medical experiments involving quinine, which caused severe side effects and increased distress.

To address the growing unrest, the British constructed the infamous Cellular Jail (popularly known as Kala Pani) between 1896 and 1906, intended to imprison hardened criminals and revolutionary freedom fighters. Notable prisoners included Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, Sachindra Nath Sanyal (co-founder of the Hindustan Republican Association), and Subodh Roy (of the renowned Chittagong armor raid). The conditions in Kala Pani were deplorable and inhumane, as documented in Savarkar's The Story of My Transportation for Life.

The Nicobar Islands, strategically located at the mouth of the Straits of Malacca, attracted considerable interest from various European powers by the 18th century due to their critical position in seafaring routes. Over the years, these islands experienced a succession of colonial interests from Denmark, Austro-Hungary, Italy, and Britain, culminating in the British acquisition from Denmark in 1868, which integrated the islands into British India by 1869.

During World War II, the British relinquished control of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, resulting in a seamless takeover by the Japanese, who were initially welcomed by the local population. On December 29, 1943, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose arrived in Port Blair, hoisting the Indian tricolor the following day (now referred to as Flag Point), renaming the Andaman Islands as Shaheed and the Nicobar Islands as Swaraj. He established the Azad Hind Government, which introduced its own land, currency, civil code, and stamps, transforming it from a government in exile to one with actual territorial authority.

However, the occupation of the islands by the Japanese and the Indian National Army was harsh and deeply unpopular among the local population, who suffered greatly. Many locals were executed on charges of espionage, numerous women were coerced into sexual slavery, and hundreds were forcibly conscripted to labor on airstrips and other construction projects.

The islands had served as the capital of the A&N Islands until a major earthquake destroyed the facilities, after which the administration shifted to Port Blair in 1941. At the time of Indian independence, the British considered four options for the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, including maintaining them as a Crown colony (similar to Caribbean and Pacific Islands), retaining them directly under Whitehall, or transferring them to Burma, ultimately deciding to incorporate them into India (as detailed in Andaman & Nicobar Islands: India's Untapped Strategic Assets by Sanat Kaul). Meanwhile, Pakistan had made claims on the islands due to their proximity to Dhaka and Chittagong.

After Indian independence, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands experienced an initial wave of migration to rehabilitate refugees from East and West Pakistan. The first post-independence settlement involved the rehabilitation of 198 refugee families from Pakistan in March 1949, followed by continued resettlement efforts through 1961, which brought agriculturists and petty tradesmen from Bengal, Ranchi, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and other regions, with land provided by the government.

Following their integration into India, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands were designated as a Part D state, indicating the highest level of direct central government control. Administration was managed by a chief commissioner appointed by the President of India, who held the authority to enact regulations with the same force as an Act of Parliament, including the ability to modify or repeal laws made by Parliament. Initially, the President nominated the islands' representative in the Lok Sabha, but starting in 1965, this representative has been directly elected by the island residents.

The States Reorganisation Commission (SRC), in its 1955 report, opted against any major changes, choosing to maintain the status quo. Additionally, the report simplified the classification of states, transitioning from a four-tier to a two-tier system under which the Andaman and Nicobar Islands were categorized as a union territory directly administered by the Union government of India, as per The Constitution (Seventh Amendment) Act-1956.

After being created as a Union Territory, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands were administered as a single district. In August 1974, the Nicobar district was separated from the Andaman district. On August 18, 2006, South Andaman district was split from the Andamans, signifying the decentralized administration of this disconnected group of islands.

In December 2018, to commemorate the seventy-fifth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose raising the national flag at Port Blair, three popular islands in the archipelago were renamed: Ross Island became Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Dweep, Neil Island was renamed Shaheed Dweep, and Havelock Island was renamed Swaraj Dweep.

In January 2023, Prime Minister Narendra Modi renamed 21 of the largest unnamed islands in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands after 21 Param Vir Chakra awardees.

Sources:

1. Administrative Atlas of India (2011)

2. Origin Story of India's States (2020) Venkata Raghavns

3. We the People of the States of Bharat (2022) Chopra Sanjeev

4. Andaman & Nicobar Islands: India's Untapped Strategic Assets - Sanat Kaul.