My Life in Andamans

Andaman and Nicobar Islands are one of most beautiful place in the world. My father belonged to Jharkhand State of India and went Andamn in the year 1955 to work in the Forest Department. In the year 1960 he opted to settle down there under the colonization scheme of Government of India. The Government allotted us a piece of land and few other things and buffalo to plough the field and building materials for construction of a kucha house. When I was born in early sixties, it was dense forest around us and the population was also thin. We could only see people from different parts of India like Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Jharkhand, Bihar, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh and so on. Most of the people were working as Labourers or running small shops. Life was difficult but not monotonous. We use to walk through the dense forests to reach our small primary school. We use to see the Elephants with anxiety because these Elephants were used by Forest Departments for transportation of wooden logs from Forests. Deers and wild pigs were the only animals found in forests and people use to hunt for it. Fish, crabs and prawn fish were available in plenty and these formed the major parts of our every day diet.

There were very few Schools in those days. We had a Middle School in our Baratang Islands. I studied upto 8^th standard in that school at Oralkatcha. In 1976, I went Port Blair for my matriculation. I took admission in Nirmala School, a school run by Roman Catholic Church. The transportation facility was only steamer (small ships) for traveling from one Islands to another. We were staying in hostel in a hostel and in every holidays we use to travel by steamer to our home Islands to spend our holidays. After completing the matriculation in 1978, I moved to Government Boy’s Senior Secondary School, Port Blair and passed senior secondary examination in 1980. Thereafter, I took admission in Government College, Port Blair for Bachelor of Arts Degree. The College is situated on the sea-shore facing the Rose Island which once happened to be the Capital during British regime.

After doing B.A., I started my search for career but at the same time I wanted to pursue higher studies. I was allotted a seat for MBA in PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore but owing certain problems I had to come back Port Blair. I took admission for Master’s degree in English in the Evening College and also got a job of Lower Division Clerk in the very same College. After doing M.A. I got another job in Indian Oil Corporation but in the meantime I passed the Assistant’s Grade Examination of Union Public Service Commission for which I had appeared in 1983. Reluctantly but with the pursuation of my Guru and Mentor Dr. A.V.V.Iyer, the then Principal of Government College, Port Blair I left Port Blair on 11^th October, 1985 to join my new assignment in the Ministry of Communications, New Delhi. Though, I visit Andaman at intervals but I always miss the beauty, loving and pollution-free environment of those Islands in Delhi.

How I become a Naturopath is itself a mystery for me but I had in my mind the lack of medical facilities in Andaman in sixties and seventies. We had only one small Government clinic in our Island and that too was manned by a Compouder. The poor people used to depend on local Vaids and herbs for treatment of their illness. My Grand father himself was a Vaid (Village Doctor) and seen him treating sick people free of cost. He had very good knowledge of herbs but all his knowledge went away with his death. There are plenty of herbs in Andamans and many of such have medicinal properties but proper research is needed.