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.

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