AFVOA Newletters of Year 2004

Page 31 of 153 Sports Complex 22. Lt Gen GS Sihota, PVSM, AVSM, VrC. VM. GOC-in-C. Southern Command. (since retired) recently opened a Sports Complex in the Island Grounds It has the following facilities: a) a driving range for golf, b) health club, c) tennis court, d) riding club, e) Cyber club. 23. Facilities likely to be added in the very near future include - movie theatre walking - jogging track, children’s park, skating rink, glass squash court, shooting range, international standard golf course, go karting, air conditioned library, pool table and Table Tennis. 24. The monthly membership charges for using these facilities will be only Rs 25.00. However for using some of the facilities a nominal charge will be levied. For example charges for Riding will be Rs 50.00 per month, driving range will be Rs 10.00, Health Club will be Rs 10.00. For further details please contact the Area Headquarters. Grant of Freedom Fighters Status for those who participated in the Signal Training Centre Revolt - 1946 A Summary of The Jabalpur Mutiny Case as it relates to “Veteran Signallers” 25. There was a revolt at Jabalpur in February 1946. The Signal Training Centre (STC) revolt or mutiny, as it was then called, was widely reported in the newspapers. About 1700 personnel took part in the revolt, which took place soon after the Royal Indian Navy mutiny at Bombay. The reasons for the uprising were disparity between British and Indian Other Ranks; (ORs) the firing on Naval ratings at Bombay and the sentences awarded to INA officers during the trials at Red Fort. The participants did not indulge in any violence, but refused to take/obey orders. The revolt was put down by an iron hand, including a bayonet charge that left 3 dead and 70 injured. After the revolt several personnel were tried by SGCM and sentenced to dismissal and imprisonment ranging from one to three years. In addition, many were discharged without any enquiry or investigation. Most of them had put in. long years of service and fought in Work War II. They did not get any pension or gratuity and were sent home merely on suspicion. Many lived and died in penury and their pleas for redress fell on deaf years. There are several letters in old files that bring out the pathetic state of these unfortunate Signallers. 26. On 15th August 1972 to commemorate the Silver Jubilee of our Independence, the Government of India decided to honour those who had taken part in the freedom struggle. It introduced the Swatantra Sainik (Freedom Fighters) Samman Pension Scheme and awarded Tamra Patras to each person who had taken part in the movement. Since then a large number of movements have been included in the list. 27. The only one missing was the STC revolt of 1946. In fact, this was the last revolt by soldiers, and was partly responsible for the decision by Mountbatten to advance the date of Independence from June 1948 to August 1947. It is indeed strange that the Corps of Signals has done nothing for our Signallers who took part in this revolt, while other services and