The Quit India Movement
The Quit India was the final call, the definite organized movement of Civil Disobedience for immediate independence of India from the British rule. The call was given by Mahatma Gandhi on August 8, 1942 and made famous by his slogan, 'Do or Die'.
Circumstances leading to the Quit India Movement
The Provincial Elections under the Government of India Act, 1935 : The Provincial Elections which came as an outcome of the Government of India Act of 1935 was contested by both the parties i.e., the Indian National Congress and the Muslim League with an expectation to have a chance for creating one's own government with their own representatives. In spite of their personal contentions over the provisions of Government of India Act, 1935 these parties decided to prepare the agenda for elections and contest it with the utmost sincerity.
The election showed the popular strength of Indian National Congress all over the country. It emerged as one of the largest party winning the majority of three large states of India. The success of Congress in North West Frontier Province shattered the Muslim League. The League also fared badly in Muslim majority provinces like Bengal.
In July 1937, on the assurance of the Viceroy that the Governors would not interfere in the administration, the Congress formed its ministeries in 6 provinces which continued in office till the outbreak of the Second World War. The Second World War broke out in September 1939 and the British government declared India a belligerent State. The Indian opinion was not sought and by a unilateral decision, India was made a party to the war.
As soon as the War was declared, the Congress clearly stated its attitude. It condemned the aggression committed by fascist countries-Germany and Italy and their ally, Japan-and expressed its sympathy with the victims of aggression. Britain which claimed to be fighting for freedom, had destroyed the freedom of the Indian people and had dragged India into the war without consulting the Central Legislature and Provincial Governments. The Working Committee of the Congress in a resolution stated : "India cannot associate herself in a war said to be for democratic freedom when that very freedom is denied to her, and such limited freedom, as she possesses, taken away from her."
The Congress demanded the establishment of an Indian government responsible to the Central Legislative Assembly and a promise that independence would be given as soon as the war was over. The British government did not agree even to this. In November 1939, the Congress ministries in the provinces resigned because it was now clear that Britain was pursuing her own imperialist ends in the war.
Implications (Resignation of Congress Ministries)
(i) The Viceroy was happy on the resignation of Congress ministries as the Congress had control over several provinces.
(ii) The Muslim League was jubilant over the resignation of Congress Ministries. Jinnah declared 22nd December, 1939 as the 'Deliverance Day'. Jinnah put out an appeal.
"I wish the Musalmans all over India to observe Friday, the 22nd December as the Day of Deliverance and thanks giving as a mark of relief that the Congress regime has at last ceased to function."
The Day of Deliverance was celebrated in many parts of India by Muslim League supporters, as well some non-Muslim Congress opponents. The Muslim League promised all help in the War on the condition that no constitutional scheme would be finalised without its approval.
(iii) The Ministries in Punjab, Bengal and Sind did not resign to win the government's goodwill.
The August Offer, 1940
The Congress was prepared to lend supp koort to Britain in its war against Germany on the condition that India to be declared an independent nation after the war. In the meantime, the war situation in Europe worsened. Therefore, an attempt was made to end the political deadlock. On 8 August, 1940, the Viceroy, Lord Linlithgow, made a new offer, known generally as the 'August Offer'.
Proposal
- After the War, a representative Indian body would be set up to frame a Constitution for India.
- Viceroy's Executive Council would be expanded without any delay.
Individual Satyagraha
When, after prolonged negotiations with the Government, no satisfactory compromise could be reached, Gandhiji started the Individual Satyagraha Movement.
On 13th October, 1940, the Congress Committee met in Wardha where Gandhiji called for an individual satyagraha to register his protest against the British Government's failure to fulfil the demands. Gandhiji did not wish to embarrass the Government involved in a war against fascism by a mass upheaval. According to his plan, selected individual will break the law by making anti-war speeches in public and will offer themselves for arrest.
The first satyagrahi was Acharaya Vinobha Bhave, a trusted disciple of Mahatma Gandhi who also founded the Bhoodan Movement. The movement was peaceful and not a single case of violence was reported. Vinobhaji was arrested on October 21, 1940. He was followed by Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru, who was sentenced to four years imprisonment. The whole country agitated at his arrest. Thousands of people went to jail in the Individual Satyagraha Movement. It had a great moral effect.
By 1941, nearly 25,000 people had offered individual satyagraha by delivering war speeches and defying Government orders. Among the leaders arrested were Nehru, C. Rajagopalachari, Srikrishna Sinha, Sarojini Naidu, Aruna Asaf Ali and Satyawati. On December 4, 1941, all these satyagrahis were released. The movement had lasted for nearly a year and a quarter.
•The Cripss Mission 1942
The British Government refused to fulfil the demands made by the Indian National Congress and therefore, the Indian National Congress refused to cooperate with the British Government in the Second World War. At that time, the Second World War had become more fierce and horrible. Two most important factors which prompted the British government to send the Cripps Mission were :
1. The Indian National Congress was not cooperating with the British government in the war instead the workers of the Congress were embarrassing the government by individual satyagraha. Sir Stafford Cripps - the head of the Cripps Mission came to India to secure Indian cooperation and support for World War II.
2. The fall of Singapore, Rangoon, and the Andamans to the Japanese was threatening the entire fabric of the British colonial empire. In the face of these crises, the British felt obliged to make some gestures to win over Indian public support. Under the circumstances Sir Winston Churchill announced on March 11, that Sir Stafford Cripps, a member of the war cabinet, would go to India for consultation with all the parties.
Cripps Mission proposed the following constitutional reforms :
1. India would be given a Dominion Status after the War.
2. A Constituent Assembly would be set up. It would consist of the members elected by the Lower House of the Indian Legislature and the representatives of the Princely States nominated by their rulers. It would be set up to draft a new Constitution.
3. There would be a federation of British India and the Indian States. Any province that was not prepared to accept the Constitution would be allowed to obtain the Dominion Status separately.
4. The provinces would be free to join the Indian Union. If they would not join the Indian federation, they would formulate their own Constitutions which could have the same status as the Union of India.
5. An undertaking would be negotiated between his Majesty's Government and the Constituent Assembly covering all matters arising out of the complete transfer of responsibilities.
6. Provisions would also be made for the protection of the racial and religious minorities.
7. During the critical years of the War, the power of the Viceroy would remain as hitherto and he would be responsible for the defence of the country. But the task of organizing the military and material resources of India would be the responsibility of the Government of India with the cooperation of the people of India.
Failure of the Cripps Mission
Almost all the parties and sections of the people rejected the proposals. The major drawbacks of this Mission were :
1 . The Cripps Mission did not bring with it the promise of independence in the near future.
2. The Plan involved partitioning the country.
3. The League opposed the creation of a single union. The proposals did not accept a separate Muslim state of Pakistan specifically. They did not grant the right of self-determination to Muslims.
4. The Hindu Mahasabha rejected the proposals because it feared the partition of the country.
5. The Sikhs, the Anglo-Indians, the Indian Christians and labour leaders also opposed them because they did not provide sufficient safeguards for their interests.
6. The people of the Princely States had no right to elect their representatives to the proposed Constitution-making body. Their representatives were to be selected by the rulers.
7. The Congress was opposed to the principle of non-accession of the provinces. Gandhiji opposed the Declaration and urged the Working Committee to reject it. Mahatma Gandhi described the Cripps proposals as a 'post-dated cheque on a failing bank'.
8. The Congress wanted that all Subjects, including Defence should be handed over to the National Government. The Congress insisted on the immediate formation of a National Government with full responsibility.
Reasons that Led to the Passing of the Quit India Resolution
1. Failure of Cripps Mission :
(a) The Government was unwilling to concede to India the right of Self-Government.
(b) It did not accept the proposal that Viceroy should act as a constitutional head until the new Constitution was framed.
(2) Threat from Japan : Japan's entry into the Second World War was of great worry for Britain, USA and China. On December 7, 1941, Japan attacked Pearl Harbour, and American naval base in the Hawai island. It also overran Philippines, Malaya, Burma and reached the border of India. There was nothing that the Indians could do to resist it. Jawaharlal advised the people to resort to the Guerrilla warfare.
3. Communal problem : The Muslim League at its Lahore session in 1940 had set its official seal on the idea of Pakistan. The League proclaimed that it could not expect any justice at the hands of the Congress. To make matter worse the government had been pampering the Muslim League. Gandhiji and other leaders felt that the situation called for complete independence - immediate and unconditional to end the British rule.
The political situation in India was intolerable, due to the resignation of Congress ministries, failure of August Offer and Cripps Mission. Rising prices, war time shortages were building up the miseries of the people.
Sir Stafford Cripps left the country amidst unprecedented excitement. Immediately after the return of Sir Stafford Cripps, Gandhi announced 'Quit India' as the war cry of the Indians. To quote Gandhi, "The presence of the British in India is an invitation to Japan to invade India. Their withdrawal removes that bait............ ." Gandhi realized that the time was ripe to take some strong and quick action. He wrote a series of articles in the Harijan where he urged the people to rise in action. In order to give effect to the Mahatma's views, the Congress Working Committee adopted the wellknown 'Quit India' Resolution, on July 14th 1942 at Wardha. The All India Congress Committee accepted this resolution with some modifications, on 8th August, 1942 in Bombay. It resolved to start a mass struggle on non-violent lines under Gandhiji's leadership.
Course/Spread of the Movement
In the early hours on August 9, 1942, Gandhiji and all other leaders of the Congress were snap-arrested.
The Quit India Movement, unfolded in four phases.
- The first was predominantly urban and included, strikes and clashes with the police and army in most major cities. All these were massive and violent but quickly suppressed.
- Raids on municipal and government buildings formed the second phase of the movement. Police stations, were attacked and set ablaze. Attempts were made by the agitating mobs to capture court buildings. Troops fired to control the mob fury.
The third phase of the movement started from about the end of September and was characterized by terrorist activities, sabotage and Guerrilla Warfare by educated youth and peasant squads. In the last phase Parallel national governments functioned at Tamluk in Midnapore, Satara in Maharashtra, and Talcher in Orissa. All the phases of the movement were crushed with force.
- In Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra, people attacked the means of transportation and communications such as railways, post offices, power houses, etc.
- In Bihar revolutionaries like Jaiprakash Narayan and Kartik Prasad played an important role in the struggle.
- Launching of the underground movement was another important feature of the Movement. It was led by Jai Prakash Narayan, Ram Manohar Lohia, Aruna Asif Ali, etc.
In Uttar Pradesh, the Movement took a very serious turn in the districts of Basti, Ballia and Azamgarh.
- In Assam, Bengal and Orissa, students took a leading part in the Movement.
- In South India, the Movement was very intense in Coimbatore, Madras (Chennai) and Madurai.
- The people also decided not to pay the land revenue and other taxes to the government.
Government's Repression
- All the members of the Congress Working Committee were arrested and imprisoned at the Ahmednagar Fort and Gandhiji was detained at Aga Khan palace. The Congress party was banned.
- The government resorted to severe measures to crush the Movement. The demonstrating crowds were machinegunned and even bombed from the air. There were summary trials. Prisoners were tortured. The police and secret police reigned supreme. Nearly ten thousand people were killed and 60,000 people were arrested by the end of 1942. Many people were convicted under the Defence of India Rules.
The Press was completely muzzled. Public meetings, processions, demonstrations and hartals were banned.
Significance of the Quit India Movement
The Quit India Movement was in fact short lived. Its importance lay in the fact that it demonstrated the depth that nationalist feeling had reached in the country and the great capacity for struggle and sacrifice that the people had developed.
1. Collapse of British Authority : Due to the sabotage activities, the symbols of British authority like the rail tracks, bridges, post offices, police stations were either blown off or burnt at several places. The British authority temporarily broke down at Satara, Ballia, Azamgarh, Darbhanga and Tamluka. In December, 1942 AD. Jatiya Sarkar was established in some regions of Bengal such as Nandigram and Tamluka. In the Satara district of Maharashtra, Patri Sarkars or parallel governments, were set up in nearly 400 villages. Satara was set free for a few months.
2. The Indian Problem attracted World Attention : The world opinion was now focused on the Indian problem. What was earlier considered as Britain's domestic affair became a matter of concern for other countries, particularly the U.S.A. The pressure of public opinion in the U.S.A. and even in Britain was so strong, that Britain found it difficult to withhold the independence of India after the War was over.
3. Indian Independence brought nearer : As the Quit India Movement went on during 1942- 44 AD., through all its stages, the coming of Indian Independence seemed certain. The people had shown marvellous courage and confidence. There was nothing which could stop Indians from attaining their freedom. It involved people of all communities, castes and religions. In fact the mass upsurge had shaken the foundations of the British Raj in India, It was evident that the British would no longer find it possible to rule India against the wishes of the people.
4. The Political Awakening : The Quit India Movement had created and developed the feelings of political awakening and consciousness among the people of India. The people of India were ready to sacrifice everything for the sake of achievement of the independence of India. It was the political awakening that after the death of thousands of people of India, the Quit India movement did not become inactive. It showed India's anger against imperialism.
5. There was a temporary set back to the National Movement as most of the leaders were in jail. Hence, freedom struggle was carried by Bose outside India. It strengthened the Congress Socialist Party under Jai Prakash Narayan. After the suppression of the Quit India Movement, the Constitutional question remained dormant till the close of the War in 1945.
Causes for the Failure of the Quit India Movement
1. Lack of coordination : There was a lack of coordination, organisation and a clear cut programme of action.
2. Non-participation of some sections of the society : Many Indians who were government employees, landlords, zamindars and even some princes remained loyal to the Government.
3. Non-cooperation of other political parties The Movement was only a Congress programme. The other political parties like Communist Party and Muslim League did not support the Movement. Even the depressed classes under the leadership of Dr. Ambedkar did not participate in the Movement
4. The repressive policy of the government : In order to suppress the Movement, the British Government adopted a repressive policy. The Indian people failed to match the powerful British Government.
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