TheKarachMi utinies • MTHENBritishleadersfoundlastFebruarythatdisafec- tionwaswidespreadamongtheIndianarmedforces, theyundoubtedlybegantohaveseriousmisgivingsabouttheir abilitytoretaincontrolofIndia.TheBritishwerenotmisled bythenavalstrikers'formaldemandsforbetterconditionsof serviceanddemobilization;theyappreciatedperfectlythe threattotheEmpirethatwasobviousintheenlistedmen's conductandmood.EvenIndianleadersintheindependence movementweresomewhatsurprisedbythestrikesandthesup- portgiventhembythemeninotherbranchesofthearmed forces.TheIndianarmyandnavyhadbeenconsideredpurely mercenary,butnowtheimplicationsoftheeventsoflast FebruaryareplaintoIndianaswelasBritishleaders. ThemutiniesandstrikeswerenotconfinedtoBombayand Karachi,whichreceivedmostoftheatentionofthenewspapers.SympathystrikesamongcivilianstookplaceinCal- cutta,Madras,Ambala,PoonaandVizagapatumaswell.In theAmericanpresstheBombayeventsreceivedratherex- tensivetreatment,butthemutiny, bar/al andriotsinKarachi wereonlybrieflymentionedhere.FromtheKarachiandother Indiannewspapers,however,afuleraccountmybegleaned. TheactionsdescribedoccuredWednesday,February20, throughSunday,February24. AmongtheshipsoftheRoyalIndianNavyatKarachi werethe Hindustan,Bahadur, Chamakand Himalaya. On Wednesdayenlistedmenofthe Hindustan struck.Somehours laterthoseonthe Bahadur askedtheircaptaintoreceivetheir demandsforbetterconditionsofservice.Uponhisrefusal, theyalsostruck.Meanwhilethemenofthe Charnuk. wenton a"stay-in"strike. Thursdaymorning,strikersofthe Bahadur freedtwoen- listedmenwhowereconfinedtoacellonshore,andthen marchedtothedockwherethe Chantait waslocated.Strikers ofbothshipsmarchedtowardthe Himalaya andwerejoined bythemenassignedthere.Nowasizeableforce,themenen- teredlaunchesandheadedforthe Hindustan, anchorednearby.Seapatrols,accordingtoKarachinewspapers,failedto stopthemenfromboardingtheship.Onboard,Britishpersonneltriedtodumpalltheammunitiontopreventitsuse bythestrikers,butthelatter,nowincontrol,managedto gettotheammunitionintimetosaveit.Meanwhile,at 11a.m.,thenewspaperreportscontinue,Britishair-borne troopsonshoreopenedfireastheIndianstriedtoboardthe Hindustan. At11:30theIndiansfiredbackfromtheship, forcingtheBritishtomovetosaferpositionsonshore. Accordingtotheofficialgovernmentversionoftheevents, whenthementriedtoreachthe Hindustan militarypolice wenttoarrestthem.Atthispointthepolicewerefiredupon fromtheship,andreturnedfire.Thenthe Hindustan openedwithallherguns.Thecasualtiesfromthisexchange were:onboardthe Hindustan—2Indiansailorsdead,5injured;onshore--2civiliansdead,40injured;amongthe Britishforces—1dead,2injured.Afterthefiringtheenlistedmenofthe Hindustan removedtheUnionJackfrom theflagmastandraisedinitssteadablood-soakedpieceofthe ishirtofoneAitheir-menkiledbyBritishfire.Anotherre- Bionotecaunoulanco politics portsaysthatthesailorsonthe Hindustan raisedboththe CongressandMuslimLeagueflags. Thursdayafternoonpassedquietly. Intheeveningthe strikerspermittedBritishpersonneltoleavethe Hindustan andthenmovedtheshipfurtherfromshoretomakemore dificultanyBritishatempttoboardit.Meanwhileonshore otherstrikersfromthevariousshipsheldameetingatwhich theyrestatedtheirdemandsandpassedresolutionscalingfor thereleaseoftheIndianNationalArmysoldiersontrial,and forthewithdrawalofIndiantroopsfromIndonesia. AlThursdaytheBritishreceivedreinforcementsfrom neighboringareas.Theypatroledtheharborandalowedno Indianstoapproachit, noteventhehighestprovincial officials. Fridaywasthedayofsurender.Duringthedarkhoursof theearlymorning,theBritishmountedfieldgunsandmortars intheharborarea.Laterinthemorningthestrikersonthe Hindustan radioedthattheywouldendthestrikeif their demandsweremet.TheBritishrepliedthatthedemandswould notbemetandthatunlessthemengaveup,actionwouldbe takenagainstthem.Thestrikersrefusedtosurender.At 11:15 thatmorning(Friday)theBritish,coveringtheship inasemi-circleonshore,openedfire.TheIndiansonthe Hindustan returnedfire,andthebatlecontinuedfortwenty minutes.Thenthestrikers,overwhelmedbytheBritishvolume offire,andfearingexplosionsofammunition,surrendered. Theywereimmediatelyarested,andrefusedtotakefood. The"stay-in"strikersonthe Chamak,Bahadur and Himalaya surenderedonSaturday,whentheBombaystrikersgaveup inobediencetorequestsfromCongressleaders. OnSaturdaythepeopleofKarachireacted.Fromdaylight onthestoppageofworkandbusiness (hartal) wascomplete. Shopsremainedclosed.Streetcarsstoppedrunningat 9:30 a.m. This hurlai wasnotoficiallycalledbyanyone;theideaappearstohavetakenholdofthepeopleandtohavespreadin- formalyamongthem.TheBritishDistrictMagistrateof Karachi,actingonauthorityoftheCriminalProcedureCode, forbadeallmeetingsandprocessionsafter6a.m.Atnoonhe forbadegatheringsofmorethan5persons.Hartalwasoffi- cialyprohibitedandthegovernmentarested3Communist Partyleaderswhourgeditatameeting. Justbeforenoontheclashesbegan.Allmorningthepeople hadbeencongregatinginformaly.Theytriedtoconverge uponIddgahMaidan,anopenplaceinanimportantpartof thecity.Waveuponwaveofpeopleapproachedthearea.At 1:35a.m.thepolicebegantouseteargastodispersethem. Thisfailing,at12:45p.m.theyusedmoreteargasandmade alight la/hi charge.(Alathi,thefamousweaponofIndian police,isalargebamboostickringedwithmetalatthestrikingend.)Inspiteofappealstoleavethearea,madebylocal CongresleadersandthePremierofSind(theprovinceof whichKarachiisthecapital),thecrowdsbecamemoreag- gressive.Theystonedpolicevans.At1:45p.m.policefired intothedemonstrators.By4p.m.teargaswasusedcon- tinuouslyaroundthearea,preventingreinforcementsfrom reachingthesuroundeddemonstrators. At7p.m.Britishtroopsarrived.Thereafterthetension decreased,thecrowdsgradualydisbanded.Inallthepolice hadfired6timesinunison,killing8persons(4Hindus,3 Muslims,1Sikh)andinjuring19.Afternightfall,according toagovernmentcommunique,thereweremoreriotsin
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