Nelson Mandela's Andamans connection

KOLKATA: Nelson Mandela may never have visited the Andaman and Nicobar Islands but there was one islander he shared a very intimate relationship with. In all likelihood, the islander wasn't even aware of his existence but her photograph provided much needed companionship to him in his solitary cell at Robben Island where Mandela spent 18 of his 27 years in prison.

Mandela had apparently cut out the photograph from a 1975 issue of the National Geographic that carried an exclusive photo feature by renowned photographer Raghubir Singh of the indigenous tribes of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The photograph that Mandela selected was of a Jarawa woman in a moment of 'spontaneous merriment'. He placed the photograph beside that of his wife in his cell and named her Nolitha.

The matter first came to light nine years ago when Mandela got back his notebooks from a prison guard. Stuck inside was Nolitha's photograph. When asked why he kept Nolitha's photograph in his cell, Mandela told people that he saw 'celebration of life' in the natural exuberance of the woman. The international media was the first to pick up the story. A few years ago, the news went viral on social networking sites.

Mandela's interesting relationship with Nolitha is evident from what he wrote in his autobiography 'Long Walk to Freedom'. There is mention of Nolitha in a letter written by Mandela to his wife Winnie. He wrote: "Your beautiful photograph stands about two feet above my left shoulder as I write this note ... Nolitha stands on the table directly opposite me. How can my spirits ever be down when I enjoy the fond affection of such wonderful ladies?"

Winnie was apparently not aware of how Nolitha came to be. In a letter written to daughter Zindzi, Mandela wrote: "By the way, has Mom ever told you about Nolitha, the other lady in my cell from the Andaman Islands? ... She regards the pygmy beauty as some sort of rival and hardly suspects that I took the picture out of the National Geographic." This communication with his daughter was also published in Mandela's autobiography.

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