Port Blair, Oct 1: Even if you live to be 100, you’ll never run out of new things to learn. Many people study history in schools and come away thinking it’s boring, irrelevant, or both. Andaman & Nicobar Islands have a glorious and interesting history, which made it into the melting pot of cultures, as it stands, and also termed as ‘Mini India’.
This initiative of “Know Your Islands” has been started by Andaman & Nicobar Police to share its remarkable historical, social, cultural and political legacy with all its personnel. It was felt that to serve the Islands to the best of their abilities, it is extremely important for the women and men in uniform to be proud of the anthropological and cultural history of the islands.
Hence, to inculcate the knowledge and rich heritage and legacy of Andaman & Nicobar Islands, a special lecture titled “Know Your Islands” has been initiated from the headquarters of India Reserve Battalion, A&N Islands on 22.09.2023, in association with renowned historians from A&N Administration.
The talk was given by Dr. Rashida Iqbal, Assistant Director, Department of Art & Culture and Dr. Pranab Kumar Sircar, Department of Tribal Welfare. The session was attended by 119 IRBn personnel of various ranks including Shri Naveen Kumar, Deputy Commandant, (IRBn) and Shri Narasimha Moorthy, Assistant Commandant (IRBn).
During the session, the eminent speakers shared some astonishing and mesmerising facts about our A&N Islands. Their talk had the antiquity of mythological touch and facts about foreign invaders, British and Japanese colonization, besides the arrival of the first batch of 200 freedom fighters during the ‘First War of Independence (1857)’ on 10th March 1858, at these Islands.
Overall, the special session was very fruitful to the IRBn personnel in knowing about the history of Andaman & Nicobar Islands. The personnel have greatly benefitted for this gesture, duly arranged by Smt. Niharika Bhatt, IPS, Commandant (IRBn). The A&N Police intends to continue this lecture series for all its officers and personnel, across the Islands. The next talk has been scheduled to be held at Armed Police Unit (APU), Police Lines, Port Blair in the next week.