The Meaning of the Cellular Jail in Post-Independence India

Abstract

In April 2014, the Cellular Jail, Andaman Islands, was submitted to the UNESCO World Heritage Site Tentative List for India. The image of the colonial jail, depicted on coins, stamps, and first day covers, symbolizes both the suffering and heroic struggle of India's freedom fighters. Considering how international, national, and local state forces have attempted to 'freeze' the meaning of the Cellular Jail, this article questions what has been excluded or obscured from collective memory. Furthermore, it explores the relationship between contending political wills and the symbol of the Cellular Jail through a particular focus on recent struggles between Hindu and secular nationalists over its appropriation. By considering the production of the symbol of the Cellular Jail, this article challenges the narratives at the heart of modern nation-building and demonstrates their intrinsic instability.