The Three Upsurges of 1945–1946: The Final Blow to British Rule in India

The heightened nationalist sentiment, peaking during the INA trials, escalated into violent confrontations with the authorities in the winter of 1945-46, marked by Three Upsurges of 1945–1946 i.e November 21, 1945—in Calcutta, a protest erupted over the INA trials, February 11, 1946—in Calcutta, demonstrations took place against the seven-year sentence given to INA officer Rashid Ali, February 18, 1946—in Bombay, a strike was initiated by the Royal Indian Navy ratings. All three upsurges exhibited a consistent three-stage pattern.

Three-Stage Pattern

Stage I: Defiance of Authority and Repression

• Anti-Imperialist Unity:  In the initial occurrence of this stage (November 21, 1945), a student procession, including sympathizers of the Forward Bloc, activists from the Student Federation of India (SFI), and Islamia College students allied with the League and the Congress, tied flags as a symbol of anti-imperialist unity. 
• Dalhousie Square Protest: They marched to Dalhousie Square, the government seat in Calcutta, refusing to disperse and facing a lathi charge. 
  • With stone and brickbat throwing, the protestors were met with police firing, resulting in two casualties.
• February 1946 Student Protest: In the subsequent incident (February 11, 1946), the protest, led by Muslim League students, saw participation from Congress and communist student organizations. 
  • Following some arrests, students defied Section 144, leading to more arrests and subsequent lathi charges.
• Rebellion by Naval Ratings: On February 18, 1946, Approximately 1100 Royal Indian Navy (RIN) ratings from HMIS Talwar initiated a strike, protesting against:
  • Racial discrimination (demanding equal pay for Indian and white soldiers)
  • Unpalatable food
  • Abuse by superior officers
  • Arrest of a rating for scrawling ‘Quit India‘ on HMIS Talwar
  • INA trials
  • Use of Indian troops in Indonesia, demanding their withdrawal.

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The rebellious ratings raised the tricolor, crescent, and the hammer and sickle flags on the mast of the rebel fleet. Subsequently, more ratings joined the strike, parading around Bombay in lorries displaying Congress flags and threatening Europeans and policemen. Crowds provided food to the ratings, and shopkeepers welcomed them to take whatever they needed.

Stage II: Citywide Participation

This phase witnessed an intense anti-British sentiment, leading to the near-paralysis of Calcutta and Bombay. The cities experienced a surge in meetings, processions, strikes, hartals, and attacks on Europeans, police stations, shops, tram depots, railway stations, and banks. Additionally, protesters obstructed rail and road traffic by squatting on tracks and barricading streets.

Stage III: National Expression of Sympathy and Solidarity

• Student Protests: During this stage, students boycotted classes and organized hartals and processions to show solidarity with fellow students and the rebellious ratings. 
• Sympathetic strikes occurred in military establishments in various locations, including Karachi, Madras, Visakhapatnam, Calcutta, Delhi, Cochin, Jamnagar, Andamans, Bahrain, and Aden. 
  • The Royal Indian Air Force went on strike in Bombay, Poona, Calcutta, Jessore, and Ambala.
• On February 23, under the persuasion of Patel and Jinnah, the ratings surrendered, receiving assurances from national parties that they would prevent any victimization.

Evaluation of Potential and Impact of the Three Upsurges of 1945-46

The three upsurges carried significant implications:

• The bold actions of the masses reflected a militant spirit ingrained in popular consciousness.
• The rebellion within the armed forces had a profound liberating effect on public sentiment.
• The RIN revolt was perceived as a pivotal event signaling the conclusion of British rule.
• These upsurges compelled the British authorities to make certain concessions:
  • On December 1, 1946, the government declared that only INA members accused of murder or brutal treatment of fellow prisoners would face trial.
  • In January 1947, imprisonment sentences imposed on the initial batch were pardoned.
  • Indian soldiers were withdrawn from Indo-China and Indonesia by February 1947.
  • The decision to dispatch a parliamentary delegation to India was made in November 1946.
  • The resolution to send the Cabinet Mission was finalized in January 1946.

Congress Strategy

Leftist Critique: The leftists argue that Congress’s apparent indifference to the revolutionary situation stemmed from two main considerations—fear that the situation would spiral out of its control and the recognition of the critical importance of maintaining disciplined armed forces in a free India. 

• Alternative Paths to Independence: They further contend that if Congress leaders had not succumbed to political maneuvering, an alternative path to independence might have unfolded. 
  • However, these uprisings were, in essence, an extension of previous nationalist activities encouraged by the Congress, manifested through its election campaign, support for the INA cause, and emphasis on the atrocities of 1942.
• Evolution of Uprisings: These uprisings differed from earlier activities in their mode of expression, representing violent challenges to authority, whereas earlier activities were characterized by peaceful demonstrations of national solidarity. 
  • The Congress refrained from officially endorsing these uprisings due to reservations about their tactics and timing.
• Gandhi’s View on Negotiations and the Mutiny: Negotiations were a fundamental aspect of the Congress strategy, to be explored before launching a mass movement, particularly when the British were perceived to be on the brink of departing. 
  • In Gandhi’s perspective, the mutiny was ill-advised: if it aimed at securing India’s freedom, it was a double error; if there were grievances, waiting for the guidance of leaders would have been more appropriate.

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Conclusion

These uprisings involved direct and confrontational clashes with authority, which inherently had limitations, as only the more militant segments of the population could actively participate. The duration of these upsurges was brief, and their impact was primarily felt in a few urban centers, whereas the broader INA agitation extended to the farthest villages. Despite a significant decline in the morale of the bureaucracy, the British infrastructure for repression remained intact, enabling them to swiftly regain control. Notably, it was a Maratha battalion in Bombay that played a key role in rounding up the ratings and restoring order to their barracks.

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