The Unwritten Legacy: How Penal Settlers Shaped the Indian Identity of Andaman & Nicobar Islands – The Story of the Pre42 Community

Introduction: A Forgotten Foundation



When we think of India's freedom struggle or territorial integration, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands often appear as a footnote in history. But the truth runs deeper. Without the British initiative of establishing a penal colony here in 1858, and the mass relocation of convicts, rebels, and political prisoners from mainland India, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands may have never become an integral part of India. The descendants of these penal settlers today form the Pre42 community, also known as the local born community, who carry this forgotten legacy on their shoulders.

Why Did British Bring Penal Settlers to Andamans?

After the First War of Independence in 1857, the British sought a remote and harsh location to punish rebels and convicts. They chose the isolated Andaman Islands, establishing a penal settlement in 1858. Over time, thousands of Indians from various regions were forcibly brought here. But beyond punishment, the British also aimed to secure the island strategically in the Indian Ocean.

This marked the birth of the Pre42 community, whose ancestors—though brought as convicts—laid the first seeds of civilization on these islands. Without their settlement, there would have been no stable Indian population to claim these lands post-independence.



While the British ruled as colonizers, it was the penal settlers and their families who turned the dense, dangerous forests into habitable spaces. They built roads, cleared land, and established agriculture. Many convicts were later released and allowed to settle permanently, forming the roots of the local born or Pre42 community.

Had the British never brought them here, these islands may have remained wild, uninhabited, or worse — fallen into the hands of foreign powers post-World War II, such as Japan or Indonesia. It was the presence of this stable Indian population—the Pre42 community—that ensured a continuous Indian cultural and demographic identity on the islands.

From Convicts to Citizens: The Evolution of the Pre42 Community

The journey from being branded as criminals to becoming the cultural backbone of the islands is the story of the Pre42 local born community. By 1942, the population had grown into a settled society with schools, markets, temples, and communal unity. They withstood Japanese occupation during World War II, often facing brutality but refusing to flee.

Their survival and resistance kept the Indian flag alive in spirit, even when the tricolor wasn't officially flying. Without the Pre42 community, the islands would have lacked both a voice and a claim during India's independence in 1947.

The Unacknowledged Role in National Integration

At the time of independence, India had to decide which territories would be included. Unlike princely states, the Andaman & Nicobar Islands had no rulers. The Pre42 community—local born settlers—became the only Indian voice on the ground. Their existence, culture, and continued loyalty made it politically and morally clear that these islands were Indian by population and spirit.

This makes the Pre42 community one of the most silent yet important contributors to India's territorial unity.

What If Penal Settlers Were Never Brought?

Without the penal settlement:

These islands may have been colonized by Japan or Indonesia.

No Indian community would exist to claim the land during independence.

The islands may not have been emotionally or administratively integrated with India.

No Pre42 community would exist to protect and preserve the local Indian identity of these islands.



History often celebrates leaders, but forgets the people who lived through suffering to make a land livable. The Pre42 community—the descendants of convicts and freedom fighters—were the soul that Indianized the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

They turned punishment into progress, exile into endurance, and struggle into settlement. India must never forget that it was the legacy of the penal settlers that ensured the tricolor flies in these islands today.


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📍 Key Highlights

Penal settlements started in 1858 after the 1857 revolt.

Without penal settlers, islands may not have become part of India.

Pre42 community (local born) played a key role in Indianizing the islands.

Their presence ensured continuity, resistance, and identity during WW-II and after.

Today, they seek recognition, dignity, and historical justice.



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