Convicts of India

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jul 15, 1902

Convicts of India

At the present time there are over twelve thousand of the inhabitants of the Indian empire serving their sentences for various crimes on the Andaman Islands, five hundred and ninety geographical miles from the Hoogly mouth of the Ganges. About two thirds of these are murderers, and the other third is composed of poisoners, thieves, and other criminals, whose offenses do not admit of classification.

They are given various sorts of work to occupy their time, and are employed as clerks, cooks, gardeners, servants, etc. After ten years of good conduct they are given a portion of ground which they clear, and occupy at a small rent. They are allowed to send for their wives and children, or, if not married, they may marry, and settle down as though they were not miscreants, though, of course, they are held upon the islands, and are only left in a semifree state on conditions of good behavior. Those who do not care to become farmers but wish to work at a trade are allowed to do so. Most of those sent to the islands have gone

to serve a life sentence, but in nearly all cases freedom has been granted after twenty years, and they are allowed to stay or return to their homes according to their desire.

By this system of allowing convicts to till the soil, since 1858 on Viper Island alone no less than twenty thousand acres of land have been cleared and cultivated; and it is estimated that one thousand one hundred acres are cleared and cultivated every year.

This system is one that commends itself to every one interested in the elevation of humanity. Instead of being housed up in prison walls with no employment to lead their minds to higher thoughts, the government has wisely provided this plan, which places within the reach of every man a means of making a change in his life, and becoming a blessing to humanity in place of a curse.—Oriental Watchman.