Naval Mutiny of 1946:

 Having served abroad and being acquainted with the ways of the world
outside, the naval ratings of the Royal Indian Navy (RIN) were deeply
resentful of the racist behavior exhibited by their English superiors.
Moreover, despite their segregation from the general population, they
were keenly aware of the growing unrest in the country, especially in the
aftermath of the INA trials. Their mounting frustration reached a
breaking point when they were subjected to substandard food quality.

 On February 18, 1100 naval ratings from HMIS Talwar initiated a strike to
protest the mistreatment they endured, which included racial
humiliation and Disgusting food.

 The ratings from Talwar were soon joined by their counterparts from
Castle and Fort Barracks, as well as 22 ships ashore, following rumors
that ratings had been fired upon. Fueled by anger, the ratings seized
Congress flags and paraded through the city with them held high. They
engaged in minor acts of arson, issued threats to the police, and even
confronted ordinary Europeans.

 In Bombay city alone, thirty shops were vandalized, along with ten post
offices, ten police stations, and sixty-four food grain stores. Workers
responded to the call of the Communists and went on strike, while
shopkeepers closed their businesses, resulting in the complete paralysis
of the city. Streets were barricaded at times, train services were
disrupted by crowds blocking the tracks, and police and military vehicles
were also completely on fire.

 The revolt quickly spread to other naval centers across the country as
word of the protest traveled. The ratings of HMIS Hindustan took the
lead in Karachi, and other naval establishments in Aden, the Andaman,
Bahrain, Calcutta, Cochin, Delhi, Jamnagar, Madras, and Visakhapatnam
joined the strike.
 In total, 20,000 ratings from 78 ships and 20 shore establishments
participated in the protest. Members of other armed forces also
expressed their sympathetic support.

 They formed a Naval Central Committee led by M.S. Khan and drafted
their demands, which encompassed national issues as well as their own
grievances. Their demands included the release of the INA prisoners,
freedom for all other political prisoners, the withdrawal of Indian troops
from Indo-China and Java, improved food quality, more humane
treatment, and equal pay for European and Indian sailors.

 On February 20, the ratings in the Barracks found themselves

surrounded by armed guards, while their comrades on the ships faced
British bombers threatening destruction. Fighting erupted the following
day as the besieged ratings attempted to break free from the Barracks.
Some of the ships, already under the control of the ratings, engaged in
gun battles rather than surrender. Heroic confrontations occurred in
Karachi, led by the rebels on the "Hindustan." By February 22, the revolt
had spread to all naval bases in the country, involving 78 ships, 20 shore
establishments, and 20,000 ratings.

 In Bombay, personnel from the Royal Indian Air Force (RIAF) went on
strike in areas like Marine Drive, Andheri, and Sion. Reports of RIAF
strikes also emerged from units in Poona, Calcutta, Jessore, and Ambala.
The army, too, showed solidarity with reports of sympathy strikes in
Jabalpur and Colaba.

 The impact of these events was profound in terms of the awakening of

ordinary Indians' consciousness. Even today, when people reflect on
those days, the RIN revolt remains a significant event that made both
the people and the government realize that the days of colonial rule
were numbered. Nevertheless, these uprisings were short-lived, with
their militancy lasting only a few days.
 Calcutta, the scene of a near-revolution in February 1946, had calmed a
week later when the RIN revolt erupted. Six months later, it witnessed
the Great Calcutta Killings.