Japanese in Andaman and Nicobar Islands: Red Sun Over Black Water

Two of the most enduring enigmas of our times have been the imperial Japanese Army of the World War II era and Subhas Chandra Bose. The two came together to play an important part in the lives of the inhabitants of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. It is only now, more than half a century after independence, that the Andaman Islands have been able to shake off the stigma of having been the location of a penal colony, the dreaded "Kalapani" of yore. Today these islands are a popular tourist destination, but amidst the tropical splendour, one may find the remainders of an unpleasant past. There are relics from another oppressive regime as well. The three and a half years of occupation by the imperial Japanese army and navy during World War II has left more scars than almost a century of a harsh penal regime. Today, at a time when the conduct of the victorious Japanese army in the occupied territories all over South East Asia has come under lot of questioning, there is no mention of the Andaman Islands. That is why this story has a great significance.