Dr.Dinesh
John Richardson was born on June 6th 1891. In 1905 Richardson was sent to Burma to complete education in a missionary school then joined a normal school to become a qualified teacher. In 1912, after Solomen’s death, Richardson was sent back to the place of Solomen as catechist & teacher, Rev George whitehead was deputed to go with him by Bishop of Rangoon to put him on feet with his scholarly help.
When Richardson came back to the Island, majority of people did not trust him, they thought that he would exploit as traders from mainland, but he had a chance to prove it that he was not one of them. The first CAN was Mr. Hart, before his appointment he was headmaster of his school in Mandalay. He used to appoint him to act for him in his absence when on leave.
While acting for him in 1927 a riot broke out at Malacca village, when all the shops were set on fire by the villagers of Perka in revenge of ill treatment from the hands of Minicoy traders, with the help of Burmese convicts, he brought under control, for his service; he received the award of a gun and a honorary 3rd class magistrate power.
There are six dialects in the Nicobars and none of which are common to any language of the neighborhoods countries, north, south, east & west of ours. There is no mixture in our blood our forefathers loved and died in these Islands, children of soil. Their language can prove, for there is no trace of foreign language in it, they are not planted here as the original settlers of the Andamans. They were loyal and law abiding fellow citizens of the great Union Republic of India.
In 1918 Richardson learned medicine compounding in the hospital in Ross Island at Port Blair under Dr Latchman Singh. On his return to Car Nicobar he was given the charge of small dispensary, Richardson was asked to act as honorary Tehsildar in the absence of officers. 102 Christians were killed by Japanese and John Richardson was under arrest during war. When peace came John Richardson was in prison waiting execution thus he was saved by atomic bomb.
Japanese occupied all houses round the sea shore and 10000 people had to go and live in the jungle. They built road round the Island and made an airstrip so they saw first motorcar and first Aeroplane.
In 1950 Richardson was consecrated Bishop. It is entirely due to high courage of this one man that most people in Car Nicobar about 14000 is Christian today. There are 11 churches, each having seating capacity about 600 people on the floor, currency was introduced in 1946. Coconut trees were cut down mercilessly to clear large area for the construction of airfield, roads and bunkers. A jetty was built at Malacca and the Nicobarese was made to do forced labour, Japanese surrendered in1945.
Mr. BL Chak, IAS the Chief Commissioner of A & N Islands came specially to pay homage to Bishop John Richardson. In his brief speech, paid tribute to the qualities of the Bishop, all of us who are here today will always be proud to say perhaps to our children and grand children that we were present on the occasion to salute a great man, thanking the assembly he said “Rewards are not the things that prove a man to be great, by being humble towards fellowmen, utterly true to his faith and completely loyal to his country”.
• Ex-Dental Surgeon of Government Civil Hospital (now known as BJR Hospital), Car Nicobar under Directorate of Health Services A & N Administration. e-mail: dineshdentalclinic@gmail.com
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