PRE42 Community – Our Past, Present, and Future

PRE42 Community – Our Past, Present, and Future

Our ancestors were sent to the Andaman & Nicobar Islands by the British as punishment for “Kala Pani” (black water imprisonment).
If they had not come here, perhaps this land would not have been a part of India today.

Some claim that the Andamans were once part of the Chola Empire, but the truth is that their ships merely passed by these islands — they never had a permanent settlement here.
Yet, the government has renamed Port Blair to Sri Vijaya Puram — a step that changes the real history.

Today, the PRE42 community has become a minority in its own homeland.
Settlers from the Indian mainland have reduced both our numbers and our influence.
We have neither strong leaders nor a political voice.

Now is the time —

To write our own history and pass it on to the next generation.

To unite and protect our rights and identity.


Changing a name will not erase our story,
because we will never lose our identity.


The Past – The Story of Our Roots

The PRE42 community was born from a unique history.
Our ancestors were those whom the British colonial rulers sent to the Andaman & Nicobar Islands as punishment for “Kala Pani.”
This was not just a sentence — it was the beginning of a new and difficult life across the sea.

If the British had not chosen the Andamans as a prison, perhaps these islands would never have become a part of India.
Our ancestors made this land their home under harsh and unforgiving conditions — it is their blood, sweat, and sacrifice that will forever remain in the history of the Andamans.


The Truth About the Chola Empire

Some people today believe that the Andaman & Nicobar Islands were once part of the Chola Empire.
However, historical evidence shows that the Chola ships only passed near these islands — they never had a permanent base here.

The Chola Empire’s influence stretched as far as Indonesia, where “Sri Vijaya” was a famous name.
Keeping this in mind, the Indian government has renamed Port Blair to Sri Vijaya Puram — as if it were once part of the Chola Empire.
But this is historically inaccurate and blurs the real story.


The Present – Our Voice is Fading

Today, the PRE42 community has become a minority in its own homeland.
The Indian government settled people from the mainland here, and they soon surpassed us in both numbers and influence.

We have no strong representative, no political voice to carry our story forward.
The decision to rename Port Blair ignored our history and sacrifices.

The Future – The Question of Our Identity

In the coming years, the PRE42 community faces two major challenges:

1. Preserving Our Identity – We must write, share, and teach our history to the next generation so that our story can never be erased.


2. Gaining Political Representation – We need a united and strong voice to fight for our rights, culture, and history.



Our story is an invaluable part of India’s history.
If we do not safeguard it ourselves, others will rewrite it in their own way — as happened with the renaming of Port Blair.


Final Words

The history of the PRE42 community reminds us that every corner of the nation and every piece of land is connected to someone’s sacrifice.
In the history of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, our ancestors’ contribution is not only significant — it is the reason this land is part of India today.

Attempts to alter our history may begin with something as small as a name change,
but their impact reaches deep into our identity.
And we will never allow that to happen.



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