74th Independence Day | The often-forgotten naval mutiny on the docks of Bombay

In the myriad celebrations of India's independence and the long struggle that led up to it, there's hardly a mention of the cataclysmic mutiny of February 1946 in Bombay. Near the commercial headquarters in south Bombay, on the streets along Colaba, Fort and the docks, lies a part of the subcontinent's history that does not get told often perhaps because it does not fit well into the larger non-violent narrative of India's independence movement.

On February 18, 1946, the naval ensign on the signal training ship HMIS Talwar was shockingly lowered and replaced by flags of the Indian National Congress, Muslim League and Communist parties. Thousands of young naval members, called ratings, struck work to raise ‘Quit India’ slogans. The revolt spread rapidly to 22 naval ships docked at Bombay and offshore barracks. By next morning, ratings on board naval ship Hindustan in Karachi had replicated the revolt, followed by RIN ships as far as Aden, Bahrain, Calcutta, Vishakhapatnam and other ports. In all, 78 ships, nearly 20,000 ratings and 20 shore establishments were part of the mutiny co-ordinated from HMIS Talwar, historical records say.

Anti-British slogans resounded on naval ships. Naval chief Admiral John Henry Godfrey reportedly had a hard time communicating with Britain. February 19 saw thousands of ratings leave their posts to come ashore in Colaba and Fort. They were greeted by thousands of civilians who had come in trucks with food for them. They drove around south Bombay in a procession of trucks, civilians and naval men joining their voices to say "Quit India” even as some ratings carried portraits of Indian National Army (INA) hero Subhas Chandra Bose.

Workers in Bombay's textile mills struck work and the Bombay Students' Union boycotted classes in solidarity. The American flag at the US Information Service in Bombay was torn and burnt. A naval central strike committee was formed.

The immediate provocation was the inedible food and coarse language of British officers but the litany ran long. The ratings demanded better work conditions, release of INA soldiers and other political prisoners, withdrawal of troops from Indonesia, equity of service pay, and Indian officers as superiors. On February 18, when ratings began the go-slow on HMIS Talwar, commanding officer Commander HW King had bellowed at them: "Hurry, you sons of coolies and bitches". This insult proved to be the breaking point.

Deployment in World War II and continued wars in Southeast Asia had fatigued the ratings, inconsiderate officers made it worse. The INA officers’ trials conducted at Red Fort had outraged many, banned INA literature had reached naval rating BC Dutt on HMIS Talwar, and airmen of the Royal Air Force had revolted in January 1946 in Karachi. However, unlike the Karachi revolt, the naval mutiny made common cause with national concerns. Its shock-and-awe effect and public support meant it lasted four days. Nearly 225 civilians were killed and more than 1,000 injured in Bombay violence.

British Prime Minister Clement Attlee ordered that the mutiny be put down. Admiral Godfrey had fighter planes fly low over Bombay harbour. The strike committee feared that the city would be made to pay a price. Moreover, political support was not forthcoming. National leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi disapproved of the violence, Mohammed Ali Jinnah advised them to resume work, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel assured the committee that its concerns would be part of the political struggle. The Congress was criticised by the Communists, who the Americans believed had orchestrated the mutiny. Eventually, by February 23, all ships surrendered.

The mutiny found echoes in a range of popular culture: the late Bollywood lyricist Anand Bakshi was among the ratings in Karachi and was sacked, musician Salil Chowdhury composed a song based on the revolt, late artiste Utpal Dutt wrote the play ‘Kallol’ based on the mutiny and was later arrested, writer Salman Rushdie poetically described it in his novel ‘The Moor's Last Sigh’ and Ian Fleming brought Admiral Godfrey — whom he had assisted — into his famous character ‘M’ in the Bond series. It was only in 1973 were some of the sailors recognised as freedom fighters and given pension.

The mutiny’s impact was undeniably political. ‘The Indian Naval Report of 1946’ by former naval lieutenant Percy S Gourgey noted that it led to "the mounting fever of excitement affecting the whole political climate". Historian Srinath Raghavan wrote that it "was arguably the single-most important event in convincing the British government that it could no longer hold on to India".

Seventy-three years ago today India won its freedom from the British, and almost two years after the Royal Indian Navy Mutiny in Bombay, in 1948 the last British troops left India from Bombay.

Smruti Koppikar is a senior Mumbai-based journalist and urban chronicler. Views are personal.