KAVARATTI ISLAND
CAPITAL OF LAKSHADWEEP
A Memoir—Summar1958
SARASIJ MAJUMDER
Well, I was in
Kavaratti Island (capital of Lakshadweep) for Two TIMES, both in my childhood. With an area
of 1050 acres it’s heaven if you stay
for 6 days and may be hell if you stay much longer. Just for the sake of
comparison, B.E. College (now IIEST)
campus is 1,400 acres.
My father was running a very small manufacturing unit, in
Dum Dum, and was also auditor for a few Marwari organizations. One of them was Mr. Paresh Khandelwal, having
a small shop in Kavaratti island, capital of Lakshadweep. When I was in 4th
standard, father has to go there for Audit. It was my summer holiday, and my
mother decided that I should accompany my DAD. That was first time I was going there. I got
very excited, collected books on the island and read.
It was end of April, 1958. We reached Cochin (KOCHI) station by Train, from Howrah, and then
spent the night at a coastal hotel. We got up early in the morning, got ready, and got on board
the first Motor Launch that sailed to the island.. It was an 18 hours journey. Still,
I was extremely excited about this new island visit, where beach was ridiculously close from anywhere
around.
On reaching Kavaratti I found out that there was no Port to
dock the vessel. Only a wooden jetty was existing. The Launch came alongside,
and was secured by ropes. There was a small gap. And the Launch was moving away and closing in with the splash of wave. But I landed by a small
jump. It’s pretty safe if the sea is not very rough.
The Laskars came to
the shore with our suitcases.
When we reached the island, I looked around, and I knew it was worth all the pain, the whole 18
hours on Launch. We didn’t throw up, but
some people did.
The manager of the shop arranged our stay in his house. And
we were very comfortable. He was a local Muslim, quite young, having a wife- and no kid. They didn’t cook cow meat when we stayed with them in the kitchen to show respect to us. All of the days
we ate sea fishes, and it was delicious! His wife was a good cook.
The island was
gorgeous. The lagoon was freaking green in colour, crystal clear water, sand
was white everywhere. It was euphoria... but the stay lasted only 6 days.
How is it like to live in Lakshadweep.?
Well it was pretty calm , peaceful , green , windy , playful time, swimming in
the sea, and lazing in the sun on the sand of the pristine beach, spreading a cloth.. If you
don't know the language you are pretty much treated as an outcast. Since it was
a vacation for me, I used to be on beach after breakfast, return for lunch—and after
a nap, again went to beach, only to return home in the evening.. In Lakshadweep
as 99% are Muslims, JUMMABAR ( Friday) is holiday and Sunday is half day. Swimming in lagoon inside the island was another attraction..
We had only Radio, to remain connected with the mainland. No
Internet, Computer, or Mobile Phone available in those days. No electricity. We used Lantern, and Petromax, when darkness
set in.. It was pretty hard to get vegetables and meat, which used to be
supplied from mainland by flat bottomed barges hauled by Tugs, along-with other supplies.
Once in a week newspaper arrived. There was no petrol pump. Petrol came in
Barrels from mainland. Only
Administrator used a Car. His bungalow and office, in the common compartment, were having electricity,
operated by Petrol Generator. Everybody
else used Cycle. And there were a few Cycle Rickshaws as well.
Most of the well water was salty hard water. There is rain
water harvesting in most of the houses, and drinking water came from mainland in big metal cans. So
drinking water was not free.
There were some government employees staying on deputation. School education was free
including free note books, text books, instrument boxes, colour boxes and basically
everything that required for study. And if you are an islander then you will get a
scholarship as well, plus reservation in
various top notch colleges in India. Entirely Free was hospital treatment
including medicines for everyone.
There were two Churches, and I visited both. There was no temple. There were
a few Mosques also—and Madrasas, Kabristan…
Most of the development, till then, I learned, was made by
Britishers only and GOI was maintaining, and continuing with that.
Situation—I heard, improved a lot now and modern amenities are
now available.. Whole island is now supplied with electricity using central Diesel
Generator. Sea water desalination plant came up and piped water is available,
and free. And there are good hotels, and beaches are further developed. I came
to know a Government Museum, and a Marine Aquarium are also present
attractions.
But you will miss the Darkness enveloped the island by
night, the Fireflies, beautiful
moonlight washing the beach, and the thick darkness further thickened in the dense vegetation of island that I have
witnessed then, and enjoyed. In that environment—Ghosts would appear real.
Mr. Modi wants to develop this island further as a major TOURIST ATTRACTION—which is a very
good idea. But, better will be to develop it only suitable for adventure oriented tourists for enjoying aquatic sports in sea, like SNORKELLING, SCUBA
DIVING, AND WAVE SURFING…etc.
This island is too
small an island to accommodate and satisfy amusement seekers. Providing those facilities will destroy the existing ambience.
IMAGE:-- GOOGLE (SHUTTER STOCK?)-- acknowledged.
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