Royal Indian Navy Revolt (1946)

Now we come to one of the most dramatic, emotional, and yet often forgotten chapters in India’s final phase of the freedom struggle:
the Royal Indian Navy (RIN) Mutiny of February 1946.

If the INA Trials had shaken the British morally, the RIN Mutiny shook them militarily.
It was as if every section of Indian society — soldiers, sailors, workers, students, civilians — were saying in one voice:

“Enough! British rule must end.”

The Spark: Discontent Among the Ratings

The mutiny began on the night of 17 February 1946, on board HMIS Talwar, a naval establishment in Bombay Harbour.

The immediate cause seemed trivial —
the food served to sailors was watery, full of stones, and unfit to eat.
Out of frustration, the ratings (the lowest-ranked sailors) refused to eat.

🔹 A “rating” is the most junior category of sailors in the Royal Navy.

But remember — bad food was only the spark, not the real fire.

By the next morning (18 February 1946), the strike had spread beyond the kitchen.
The ratings raised slogans against racial discrimination, poor treatment, and unequal pay.
They wanted to be treated not as colonial subordinates but as equals.

The Broader Demands

Their demands quickly became political, reflecting the mood of post-war India.
They demanded:

1. Release of INA prisoners
2. Freedom for all political prisoners
3. Withdrawal of Indian troops from China and Java (where they were serving British imperial interests)
4. Better food and living conditions
5. Dignified treatment from British officers
6. Equal pay for European and Indian sailors

Clearly, this was no longer a kitchen protest — it was a patriotic rebellion inside the British Navy.

The Symbolic Act: Hoisting of Three Flags

In an act rich with symbolism, the mutineers pulled down the Union Jack (British flag) and hoisted three flags together on their ships and buildings:

1. The Tricolour of the Congress 🇮🇳
2. The Green flag of the Muslim League ☪️
3. The Red flag of the Communist Party 🔴

This unity of three symbols — Congress, League, and Communists — represented the national unity that transcended political and communal divides.

The Wildfire: Spread of the Revolt

What began in Bombay soon spread like wildfire.

By 20 February, within just two days:

• The mutiny had reached Calcutta, Karachi, Madras, Cochin, Vishakhapatnam, and other naval bases.
• Around 20,000 sailors had joined the movement.
• The British Navy in India had effectively lost control over its men.

This was not a small protest — it was a nationwide military revolt.

The People’s Response: A Wave of Sympathy

From the docks of Bombay, the revolt reached the hearts of ordinary Indians.

• Rumours spread that the British were going to starve the sailors into submission.
  In response, thousands of civilians — Hindus, Muslims, Parsis, Iranians — rushed to the Gateway of India carrying food, fruits, milk, and bread.
  Shopkeepers openly said, “Take whatever you need, it’s for our sailors.”
• Students and workers in Bombay organized a general strike, led by the Bombay Students’ Union and supported by the Communist Party of India (CPI).
  Trains were stopped, trams burned, and city life came to a standstill.

The working-class neighbourhoods, especially Parel, became battle zones as the British Army opened fire to suppress the uprising.
Over 200 civilians were killed in Bombay alone.

Despite the chaos, what stood out was the unprecedented Hindu-Muslim unity and solidarity between civilians and sailors.

Political Reactions: A Divided Response

Here lies a striking paradox.

While the people supported the rebellion, the political leadership did not.

Opposition from INC and Muslim League

• Both Congress and the Muslim League condemned the mutiny.
• Mahatma Gandhi called it “a thoughtless and reckless act.”
• Leaders feared that such an armed uprising might lead to anarchy or give the British an excuse to delay independence.

Support from Communists and a Few Leaders

• The Communist Party of India was the only party to openly support the mutiny.
• Aruna Asaf Ali, a prominent Congresswoman, also backed the sailors, saying she would “rather unite Hindus and Muslims on the barricades than on the constitutional front.”

This statement captured the frustration of a generation that wanted real unity — not just negotiations.

The End of the Mutiny

The revolt continued for nearly a week.
By 23 February 1946, it had become a serious military challenge to British rule.

• Intense battles were fought in Bombay and Karachi.
• British officers discovered that even Maratha soldiers (part of the army) were reluctant to shoot at fellow Indian sailors.

Realizing the potential for a wider armed rebellion, the political leadership intervened.

• Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (on behalf of Congress) and M.A. Jinnah (on behalf of the League) jointly appealed to the ratings to surrender.
• The sailors, respecting these national leaders, surrendered on 23 February, bringing the mutiny to an end.

Why Congress Did Not Support the Mutiny

Historians give several interpretations for this cautious stance:

1. Maintaining Discipline in the Armed Forces
   Congress leaders felt that if soldiers and sailors began rebelling, the new Indian government would later inherit a disorderly and undisciplined military — dangerous for a new nation.
2. Avoiding Delay in Power Transfer
   At this stage, Congress leaders were in active negotiations with the British regarding independence.
   An armed revolt could have been used by the British to justify postponing the transfer of power.
3. Commitment to Non-Violence
   Gandhi and other Congress leaders still believed in peaceful transition, not a violent insurrection.

So, even though public sympathy was entirely with the mutineers, the political leadership helped the British restore order.

Significance and Impact

Even though it failed militarily, the RIN Mutiny was one of the final nails in the coffin of British rule.

(a) Civil-Military Solidarity

It brought the military and civilians together, breaking the psychological barrier that the army was purely loyal to the British.

(b) Panic in the British Government

The British were deeply alarmed.
They realized that if the Navy — traditionally the most disciplined force — could revolt, the Army and Air Force might follow next.

In fact, the Cabinet Mission from London was dispatched to India the very next day after the mutiny began (February 19, 1946).
It was clear: the British could no longer rule India by force.

(c) Psychological Blow to British Authority

For the first time, Britain’s hold on India seemed physically impossible.
Even British Prime Minister Clement Attlee later admitted that the INA and RIN Mutiny were decisive factors in the British decision to quit India.

(d) Lost Opportunity for Unity

Some historians regret that if the communal unity displayed during the RIN Mutiny — where sailors hoisted Congress, League, and Communist flags together — had been politically sustained, the Partition of India might have been less bloody or even avoided.

Post-Independence Neglect

Tragically, after Independence, the RIN Mutiny faded from public memory.

For decades, it was neither taught widely nor celebrated.
Only in 1973, the Government of India officially recognized the mutineers as freedom fighters, granting them pensions and honours for their role in the struggle.

Broader Historical Insight

If the INA ignited patriotism, the RIN Mutiny proved that British rule was unsustainable.
Together, these two events convinced even the British Prime Minister that India was ungovernable by coercion.

As Clement Attlee later told Justice P.V. Chakraborty,

“It was the INA and the Naval Mutiny — not the Quit India Movement — that finally made the British leave India.”

And so, though history books may have underplayed it, the RIN Mutiny was not a footnote —
it was the final trumpet call of India’s freedom.