Balai Chandra Dutt was born in 1923 and was a matriculate and just 18 years old when he joined the Royal Indian Navy. Recruited as a trainee wireless telegraphist, he saw action in Burma during World War II and was subsequently assigned to the shore establishment, HMIS Talwar, located in Wodehouse Road, Colaba. It was here that he met an old friend, Salil Saran, returning from Burma, who had brought back letters written by members of Azad Hind Fauj, addressed to Jawaharlal Nehru and Sarat Chandra Bose (elder brother of Subhas Chandra Bose). He was looking for a way to deliver them. In those days, it was considered high treason if caught with such letters. It was like holding a live bomb. In their free time, or 'Liberty', the ratings would congregate in civilian areas where they would read and share stories about the courage and defiance of Subhas Chandra Bose, the INA, and their unjust trial in 1945. Soon they formed a group of like-minded young patriots and called themselves Azad Hindi. They would meet clandestinely and make plans to help gain the country's freedom. Kadam Kadam Badhaye Ja became their inspirational song. After RD Purie's success on Navy Day, their courage had grown, and they decided to strike again. They chose February 2nd, the day the Commander- in-Chief's maiden visit to Talwar was scheduled. Surveillance had quadrupled, but taking advantage of the darkness, Dutt painted 'Quit India' and 'Jai Hind' on the wooden platform from where the C-in-C was to address the officers and men. He stuck similar seditious leaflets on the walls of the barracks. He was caught with paint and a gum bottle in his possession. His locker was opened where more seditious literature was found. Dutt was placed in solitary confinement for 17 days, then demoted and discharged from the navy. Upon release, he was greeted like a hero by fellow ratings. His name and exploits were splashed all over the nationalist press like the Free Press Journal and Bombay Chronicle. The Royal Indian Navy, however, considered him a traitor. Under police escort, BC Dutt was taken to Calcutta. He was given six rupees while his legitimate due after serving for five years, was six hundred rupees. Dutt had no intention to go to Calcutta. Bombay was his city. Midway through the journey in Igatpuri, he gave his escorts the slip and returned to Bombay. S Sadanand, the legendary chief of the Free Press Journal, gave him a reporting job. Soon, Dutt got disillusioned with journalism and left to join the leading advertising firm Lintas. While at Lintas, he wrote his memoir Mutiny of the Innocent. It was edited and rewritten by his colleague Shyam Benegal, the acclaimed filmmaker. The socially popular Dutt married Anasuya, who eventually became a top senior lawyer specialising in divorce cases. She practiced actively until the late 80s and was considered one of the best legal minds in Bombay. With perseverance and a bit of snooping, I traced Anasuya Dutt to her flat in South Mumbai. I was given half an hour by her son Anuj to talk to her one afternoon. A charming lady in her early nineties, she replied to most of my questions with a childlike smile. I chatted with her till I was told that she was too tired and that she would have answers to all my questions if I could come the next day same time in the afternoon. Next morning, I got a call from Anuj that his mother could not sleep the whole night muttering incoherently about 'mutiny' and had to be hospitalised.

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