New Delhi, Jan 26 (IANS): World championship bronze medallist boxer Gaurav Bidhuri congratulated the Indo-Asian News Service (IANS), India's premier independent newswire, for its first documentary titled 'The Last Push' on the Royal Indian Navy Mutiny of 1946.
The young Indian pugilist was present at the premier of the documentary in the Films Division Auditorium, here on Wednesday evening.
He said that people of India should know about the forgotten episodes of our freedom struggl"e.
"Just wow, I am really amazed by what I have seen. This is very informative for the people of our age, who don't know about this part of the history... Must thank Mr Sandeep Bamzai (IANS Editor in Chief and CEO) and team for this. Hat's off," Gaurav said.
Put together by the award-winning TV journalist and documentary maker, Sujay, it is the first of a series of short films on the forgotten episodes of our freedom struggle.
Using forgotten footage sourced from the Imperial War Museum and Cambridge University in the UK and press clippings from India and Pakistan, and juxtaposing this material with expert narrations of this story of valour, 'The Last Push' reconstructs the 72 hours of the mutiny, which was inspired by the bravery of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose's Azad Hind Fauj (Indian National Army) and hastened the end of the British Raj.
The film was premiered at a select gathering in the presence of Mahendra Nath Pandey, Union Minister for Heavy Industry and Public Enterprises.
On February 18, 1946, ratings of the Royal Indian Navy went on strike in Bombay, brought down British flags and over three days took control of 78 ships and 21 shore establishments. The impact of the mutiny was felt across British Indian military formations. For 48 hours the jewel in the crown of the British Empire was seen tottering out of control before command was restored. But from the time of the mutiny the British finally knew that they had no choice but to quit India.
Yet, 75 years after independence, the Royal Indian Navy Mutiny of 1946 is barely a footnote in the history of India's freedom struggle.