Tree 15 - The Unique Peepal Tree In The Andamans Poem by Geeta Radhakrishna Menon

A unique Peepal tree
Stands with fresh green leaves,
Sparkling in the brilliance of the golden sun,
Streaming in through the notorious Cellular jail,
A powerful historical witness!
A witness to the atrocities inflicted on freedom fighters!

As you approach Port Blair, capital city of the Andamans,
The first aerial view that strikes you is the Cellular Jail!
As you enter the precincts of this Cellular Jail,
The object that captures your attention is
This unique Peepal tree!
A wise old tree that has witnessed the agonies of freedom fighters.

Right from the time it sprouted into the world,
The Peepal has seen only indescribable sufferings,
The young Peepal had no time to swing and dance,
Like young children flying kites with the playful wind,
The young tree was forced to watch extreme cruelties,
Then, grew up into young tree to watch more brutalities!

When the sea breeze blew into the jail,
It touched the Peepal tree with a shiver,
When the brave Indian freedom fighters screamed,
It made wounds on the branches of the tree,
When the courageous patriots were hung
It sent a chill down the roots of the tree!


Right from the time when the patriotic Indians were
Ruthlessly hurled and bundled into this Cellular Jail,
Mercilessly tortured and incarcerated in the cells,
The Peepal tree feared that it would also be cut into pieces
Thrown into the sea or burnt alive like the Indian brave hearts.
But No! God had willed otherwise. It stood there to see all!

The Peepal rejoiced when the brave men were released.
After long years of torture and terror,
Cellular Jail is now a symbol of a revolutionary movement,
A shrine of liberation! A national memorial!
Today, the Peepal tree stands there to welcome innumerable visitors,
To tell them the stories of the gallant freedom fighters at the CellularJail!