Overview

• The retrospective cites estimates of 5,000–10,000 dead and about 15,000 wounded during the August 1946 communal violence in Calcutta.
• Gopal “Patha” Mukherjee is quoted describing a force of roughly 800 men and ordering retaliatory killings, while critics alleged he targeted Muslims.
• Accounts describe weapons ranging from knives and clubs to pistols reportedly purchased from American soldiers stationed in the city during World War II.
• Jugal Chandra Ghosh recounted collecting money from mills and factories and offering per‑murder payments, portraying violence financed by extortion and bounties.
• After the bloodshed, Gandhi’s appeal prompted mass weapon surrenders—praised by Mountbatten as a “miracle”—yet some figures, including Patha, refused to fully disarm or express remorse.