Forgotten Founders of Andaman: The Struggle, Legacy, and Voice of the Pre42 Community

Forgotten Founders of Andaman: The Struggle, Legacy, and Voice of the Pre42 Community

Introduction:
Nestled in the Bay of Bengal, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands stand today as a strategic and integral part of India. But hidden in the shadows of its tropical beauty lies a largely overlooked community—the Pre42 community, also known as the Local Borns. These are the descendants of those who were brought to the islands by the British colonial regime, not as citizens, but as convicts, laborers, and guards. Their sacrifices, struggles, and legacy laid the very foundation of modern Andaman. Yet, decades after independence, their voice remains unheard.

1. A History of Pain and Contribution (1857 Onwards):
Following the 1857 Revolt, the British selected the isolated Andaman Islands as a penal colony. Thousands of Indian freedom fighters, rebels, and accused persons were shipped here in chains.

Among them were the ancestors of today’s Pre42 community. Branded as convicts, they were subjected to inhuman labor, torture, disease, and isolation. Yet, over the decades, they cleared forests, built roads, homes, and institutions that transformed the island into a permanent settlement.

They did not return to the mainland. Instead, they made these islands home, and their descendants today form the oldest Indian civilian population of the territory.

2. Nation Builders Without Recognition:
When India gained independence in 1947, Andaman and Nicobar Islands became a part of the Indian Union. However, this would not have been possible without the already established Indian population—the Pre42 settlers.

Yet, unlike other freedom fighters or tribal communities, Pre42 people were neither given Scheduled Tribe recognition nor other cultural, political, or economic safeguards.

Despite being native-born, they are frequently overshadowed by the post-independence settlers from mainland India. Their contributions are absent from textbooks, museums, and political platforms.

3. Cultural Erosion and Political Silence:
Today, the Pre42 community faces identity erosion. With a growing number of mainland settlers occupying administrative, business, and political space, the original communities are losing ground. There is no reserved political representation for Pre42 people, nor any national-level recognition as a founding community of the islands.

The Local Born Association, established in 1921, still advocates for their rights, but remains marginal in influence. No Pre42 representative holds power in parliament or state-like governance. The pain is not just historical, but deeply current.

4. What Can Be Done: A Call to Action

Recognize the Pre42 community officially as a foundational group of the islands.

Reserve political seats or grant cultural protections under Articles 29 & 30.

Include their contributions in national textbooks and documentaries.

Support the Local Born Association with government funding.

Establish a national Pre42 Heritage Day.

File PILs and RTIs to push legal recognition and rights.


Conclusion: The Roots of Andaman Run Deep
Without the penal settlement, the Andaman Islands might never have become part of India. The Pre42 people are the first permanent Indian settlers. Their blood and labor laid the foundation of today’s territory.

It’s time the nation stops overlooking them. It’s time to listen to the forgotten founders of Andaman.

> "We are not just children of convicts. We are the builders of this land. And our story must be told."

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