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Essay on Quit India Movement

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100 Words Essay on Quit India Movement

Introduction.

The Quit India Movement was a significant event in India’s struggle for independence. Launched on August 8, 1942, by Mahatma Gandhi, it called for the end of British rule in India.

The main goal of the Quit India Movement was to achieve ‘An immediate end of British rule’. Gandhi urged everyone to follow a non-violent protest against the British.

The movement had a profound impact. It intensified the freedom struggle, leading to the eventual exit of the British in 1947. Despite its suppression, the movement marked a crucial step in India’s journey to independence.

Also check:

• 10 Lines on Quit India Movement
• Speech on Quit India Movement

250 Words Essay on Quit India Movement

The Quit India Movement, also known as ‘Bharat Chhodo Andolan’, was a critical milestone in the Indian freedom struggle. Launched on August 8, 1942, under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi, it was a decisive call for the British to end their colonial rule in India.

Genesis of the Movement

The movement was born out of the increasing dissatisfaction among Indians due to the exploitative British policies. The failure of the Cripps Mission, which proposed dominion status for India after World War II, was the immediate trigger. Gandhi, with his clarion call of ‘Do or Die’, galvanized the nation into action.

Impact and Significance

The Quit India Movement was a mass civil disobedience movement that saw widespread participation from diverse sections of the society. The British government responded with repressive measures, leading to mass arrests and violence. Despite the lack of immediate success, the movement significantly weakened the British hold over India.

The Aftermath

Post the movement, the political dynamics in India underwent a sea change. The British realized that maintaining control over India was becoming increasingly untenable. The movement also sowed the seeds for the subsequent negotiations that eventually led to India’s independence in 1947.

The Quit India Movement was a testament to the indomitable spirit of the Indian people. It marked a significant shift in the Indian freedom struggle, steering the nation towards its inevitable tryst with destiny – Independence. The movement continues to inspire generations, symbolizing the power of unity and non-violent resistance in the face of oppression.

500 Words Essay on Quit India Movement

The Quit India Movement, also known as the August Movement, was a significant milestone in the history of India’s struggle for independence. Launched on August 8, 1942, under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi, the movement was a direct response to the failure of the Cripps Mission and the escalation of World War II.

The Genesis of the Movement

The seeds of the Quit India Movement were sown with the failure of the Cripps Mission. Sir Stafford Cripps, a member of the British Cabinet, had been dispatched to India in March 1942 to negotiate terms for Indian independence. However, the proposals fell short of the expectations of the Indian National Congress, leading to widespread dissatisfaction.

Simultaneously, the horrors of World War II were escalating. The British government had dragged India into the war without consulting the Indian leaders. This unilateral decision further fueled the desire for independence.

The Launch of the Movement

In response to these events, the All India Congress Committee met in Bombay on August 8, 1942. Here, Mahatma Gandhi gave his famous “Do or Die” speech, calling for determined, but passive resistance. The Quit India Resolution was passed, demanding an end to British rule in India. The movement aimed to bring the British government to the negotiating table by crippling the administrative machinery of the country through mass civil disobedience.

Repression and Impact

The British government, anticipating the movement, arrested all prominent leaders of the Congress, leaving the movement leaderless. Despite this, the movement spread across the country, with strikes, protests, and acts of sabotage erupting everywhere. The British responded with repression, resulting in thousands of arrests, deaths, and destruction of property.

The Quit India Movement, though crushed by the British, had a significant impact. It marked the end of moderate nationalism and signified the rise of radical nationalism. It was the last major direct action campaign of the Indian National Congress and the final major struggle for independence before the British left India in 1947.

The Quit India Movement was a turning point in India’s struggle for independence. It was a testament to the Indian people’s resolve to gain independence and their willingness to endure hardship for their cause. The movement demonstrated the strength of popular dissent against colonial rule and set the stage for the final push towards independence. Despite its failure to achieve immediate objectives, the Quit India Movement galvanized the Indian masses and laid the groundwork for subsequent political developments leading to India’s independence.

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Quit India Movement - 1942 (Modern Indian History NCERT Notes)

Mumbai’s Gowalia Tank Maidan also known as August Kranti Maidan is the place where the quit India movement was launched by Mahatma Gandhi. He along with other leaders gathered here on August 8 and 9, 1942.

The outcome of the movement was that Congress was declared an unlawful association and its offices all over the country were raided. The leaders were arrested and there rose a chaotic moment with this incident.

 This article gives you the Quit India Movement summary, factors responsible for Quit India Movement and other notes relevant for UPSC and other government exams .

Candidates can also download Quit India Movement notes PDF from the link provided below.

Quit India Movement (UPSC Notes):- Download PDF Here

Aspirants can also read important topics related to Indian Freedom Struggle linked below:

Quit India Movement Facts for UPSC

• Also known as the India August Movement or August Kranti.
• It was officially launched by the Indian National Congress (INC) led by Mahatma Gandhi on 8 August 1942. (knowindia.gov.in mentions August 1942 as Quit India Movement month/year.)
• The movement gave the slogans ‘Quit India’ or ‘Bharat Chodo’. Gandhi gave the slogan to the people – ‘Do or die’.
• In line with the Congress ideology, it was supposed to be a peaceful non-violent movement aimed at urging the British to grant India independence.
• The Quit India Resolution was passed by the Congress Working Committee on 8 August 1942 in Bombay. Gandhi was named the movement’s leader.
• An immediate end to British rule over India.
• Declaration of the commitment of free India to defend itself against all kinds of imperialism and fascism.
• Formation of a provisional government of India after British withdrawal.
• Sanctioning a civil disobedience movement against British rule.
• Government servants : do not resign your job but proclaim loyalty to the INC.
• Soldiers : be with the army but refrain from firing on compatriots.
• Peasants: pay the agreed-upon rent if the landlords/Zamindars are anti-government; if they are pro-government, do not pay the rent.
• Students: can leave studies if they are confident enough.
• Princes: support the people and accept the sovereignty of them.
• People of the princely states: support the ruler only if he is anti-government; declare themselves as part of the Indian nation.

Causes of Quit India Movement – Why was it launched?

• The Second World War had started in 1939 and Japan, which was part of the Axis Powers that were opposed to the British in the war were gaining onto the north-eastern frontiers of India.
• The British had abandoned their territories in South-East Asia and had left their population in the lurch. This act did not garner much faith among the Indian population who had doubts about the British ability to defend India against Axis aggression.
• Gandhi also believed that if the British left India, Japan would not have enough reason to invade India.
• Apart from hearing news about British setbacks in the war, the war-time difficulties such as high prices of essential commodities fostered resentment against the British government.
• The failure of the Cripps Mission to guarantee any kind of a constitutional remedy to India’s problems also led to the INC calling for a mass civil disobedience movement.

Read about the allied, axis and central powers from below:

•   Difference Between Axis and Allied Powers 
• Difference Between Axis and Central Powers

Response to Quit India Movement

• The British government responded to the call of Gandhi by arresting all major Congress leaders the very next day. Gandhi, Nehru, Patel, etc. were all arrested. This left the movement in the hands of the younger leaders like Jayaprakash Narayan and Ram Manohar Lohia. New leaders like Aruna Asaf Ali emerged out of the vacuum of leadership.
• Over 100000 people were arrested in connection with this movement. The government resorted to violence in order to quell the agitation. They were mass floggings and lathi charges. Even women and children were not spared. About 10000 people died in police firing in total.
• There was no communal violence.
• The INC was banned. Its leaders were jailed for almost the whole of the war. Gandhi was released on health grounds in 1944.
• The people responded to Gandhi’s call in a major way. However, in the absence of leadership, there were stray incidences of violence and damage to government property. Many buildings were set on fire, electricity lines were cut and communication and transport lines were broken.
• Some parties did not support the movement. There was opposition from the Muslim League , the Communist Party of India (the government revoked the ban on the party then) and the Hindu Mahasabha.
• The League was not in favour of the British leaving India without partitioning the country first. In fact, Jinnah asked more Muslims to enlist in the army to fight the war.
• The Communist party supported the war waged by the British since they were allied with the Soviet Union.
• Subhas Chandra Bose, was by this time, organizing the Indian National Army and the Azad Hind government from outside the country.
• C Rajagopalachari, resigned from the INC since he was not in favour of complete independence.
• In general, the Indian bureaucracy did not support the Quit India Movement.
• There were strikes and demonstrations all over the country. Despite the communist group’s lack of support to the movement, workers provided support by not working in the factories.
• In some places, parallel governments were also set up. Example: Ballia, Tamluk, Satara.
• The chief areas of the movement were UP Bihar, Maharashtra, Midnapore, and Karnataka. The movement lasted till 1944.

Importance of Quit India Movement – Significance/What it achieved?

• Despite heavy-handed suppression by the government, the people were unfazed and continued their struggle.
• Even though the government said that independence could be granted only after the end of the war, the movement drove home the point that India could not be governed without the support of the Indians.
• The movement placed the demand for complete independence at the top agenda of the freedom movement.
• Public morale and anti-British sentiment were enhanced.

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Home » Modern Indian History » Freedom to Partition (1939 – 1947) » Quit India Movement

• The failure of Cripps Mission
• The arrival of Japanese armies on Indian borders
• The rising prices and shortages in food supplies
• The different opinion within the congress
• The resolution was rejected, but it showed the intent of Congress
• If they did not agree, he would launch a Civil Disobedience movement.
• Eventually, he decided in favour of launching the movement.
• On 8th August 1942, the AICC passed the Quit India Resolution

Introduction

• The Quit India Movement has rightly been described as the most massive antiimperialist struggle on the eve of Partition and Independence.
• 1942, the year that the movement was launched and the next five years witnessed unparalleled and tumultuous events in the political history of India
• Sharp increase in popular nationalism, large-scale deprivation and death due to widespread famine conditions particularly the Bengal Famine of 1943, heightened Japanese aggression in Burma and Malaya, hopes of a military deliverance through the onward march of the ‘Azad Hind Fauj’ of Subhas Chandra Bose, and widening of the communal divide leading to the vivisection of the political fabric of the country were some of these developments

The Movement

• The Congress gave the call for ousting British but it did not give any concrete line of action to be adopted by the people.
• Everyone is free to go the fullest length under Ahimisa to complete deadlock by strikes and other non-violent means. Satyagrahis must go out to die not to live. They must seek and face death. It is only when individuals go out to die that the nation will survive, Karenge Ya/Marenge (do or die).
• There were, hartals, demonstrations and processions in cities and towns. The Congress leadership gave the call, but it was the people who launched the Movement .
• The assembly of public meetings was prohibited under rule 56 of the Defence of India Rules.
• Since all the recognised leaders-central, provincial or local-had been arrested, the young and more militant cadres-particularly students with socialist leanings took over as leaders at local levels in their areas.
• Later, it was the repressive policy of the government which provoked the people to violence.
• attacks on government buildings, police stations and post offices,
• attacks on railway stations, and sabotaging rail lines,
• cutting off the telegraph wires, telephones and electric power lines,
• disrupting road traffic by destroying bridges, and
• workers going on strike, etc.
• In Maharashtra , a parallel government was established in Satara which continued to function for a long time.
• In Bengal, Tamluk Jatiya Sarkar functioned for a long time in Midnapore district. This national government had various departments like Law and Order, Health, Education, Agriculture, etc., along with a postal system of its own and arbitration courts.
• People established Swaraj in Talacher in Orissa.
• In this essence, the movement got a massive response from people of Bombay, Andhra, UP, Bihar, Gujarat, Orissa, Karnataka, Bengal, etc.
• But the responses in Punjab, Sindh, NWFP, etc, were weak.
• This was another trend in the movement, besides mass action.
• The participants in these activities were the Socialists, Forward Bloc members, Gandhi ashramites, revolutionary nationalists and local organisations
• The main personalities taking up underground activity were Rammanohar Lohia, Jayaprakash Narayan, Aruna Asaf Ali, Usha Mehta, Biju Patnaik, Chhotubhai Puranik, Achyut Patwardhan, Sucheta Kripalani and R.P. Goenka
• This phase of underground activity was meant to keep up popular morale by continuing to provide a line of command and guidance to distribute arms and ammunition

The British Government’s reaction

• The Government had geared all its forces to suppress the popular upsurge.
• Arrests, detentions, police firings, burning of Congress offices, etc. were the methods adopted by the Government.
• The press was muzzled. The military took over many cities; police and secret service reigned supreme.
• Rebellious villages were fined heavily and in many villages, mass flogging was done.

Significance of Quit India Movement

• The Quit India Movement failed to end British rule in India. Yet, this was one movement that demonstrated the will and reserve of diverse communities of Indians to withstand both the highhandedness of imperial authorities and the elitism of the Indian Political class.
• The Quit India Movement stands apart from the earlier movements in terms of the spirit and enthusiasm that it infused in ordinary people to support indigenous institutions and structures of power.
• The parallel governments that such efforts produced indicate the basic difference between the 1942 movement and the earlier movements
• Loyalty to government suffered considerable erosion. This also showed how deep nationalism had reached.
• The movement established the truth that it was no longer possible to rule India without the wishes of Indians.
• The great significance was that the movement placed the demand for independence on the immediate agenda of the national movement. After Quit India, there could be no retreat.
• Also, in this struggle, the common people displayed unparalleled heroism and militancy . The repression they faced was the most brutal, and the circumstances under which resistance was offered were most adverse.

On the whole, the Quit India movement collapsed, but not without demonstrating the determination of the masses to do away with British rule. The Congress leadership did not condemn the deviation by the people from the principle of non-violence, but at the same time disowned any responsibility for the violent acts of the people. Eventually, by 1945 the Congress was moving in the direction of focusing its attention and energies on the 1946 elections.

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Explained: Recalling ‘Quit India’, when ordinary Indians took to the streets with a vow to ‘Do or Die’

On august 9, 1942, the biggest mass movement of the indian freedom struggle was launched. the british launched a brutal crackdown, but the message was clear: they would have to leave india, nothing less was acceptable.

On this day 80 years ago — on August 9, 1942 — the people of India launched the decisive final phase of the struggle for independence. It was a mass upsurge against colonial rule on a scale not seen earlier, and it sent out the unmistakable message that the sun was about to set on the British Empire in India.

Mahatma Gandhi, who had told the Raj to “Quit India” on the previous day (August 8) was already in jail along with the entire Congress leadership, so when August 9 dawned, the people were on their own — out on the street, driven by the Mahatma’s call of “Do or Die” .

This truly people-led movement was eventually crushed violently by the British, but by then it was clear that nothing short of their final departure was acceptable to India’s masses.

Build-up to August 1942

While factors leading to such a movement had been building up, matters came to a head with the failure of the Cripps Mission.

With World War II raging, the beleaguered British government needed the cooperation of its colonial subjects. With this in mind, in March 1942, a mission led by Sir Stafford Cripps arrived in India to meet leaders of the Congress and the Muslim League. The idea was to secure India’s whole-hearted support in the war, and the return offer to Indians was the promise of self-governance.

But things did not go that way. Despite the promise of “the earliest possible realisation of self-government in India”, Cripps only offered dominion status, not freedom. Also, there was a provision for the partition of India, which was not acceptable to the Congress.

The failure of the Cripps Mission made Gandhi realise that freedom would come only if Indians fought tooth and nail for it. The Congress was initially reluctant to launch a movement that could hamper Britain’s efforts to defeat the fascist forces. But it eventually decided on mass civil disobedience. At the Working Committee meeting in Wardha in July 1942, it was decided the time had come for the movement to move into an active phase.

Gandhi’s address: Do or Die

On August 8, 1942, Gandhi addressed the people in the Gowalia Tank maidan in Bombay ( Mumbai ). “Here is a mantra, a short one, that I give you. Imprint it on your hearts, so that in every breath you give expression to it,” he said.

“The mantra is: ‘Do or Die’. We shall either free India or die trying; we shall not live to see the perpetuation of our slavery,” Gandhi said. Aruna Asaf Ali hoisted the Tricolour on the ground. The Quit India movement had been officially announced.

The government cracked down immediately, and by August 9, Gandhi and all other senior Congress leaders had been jailed. Gandhi was taken to the Aga Khan Palace in Poona ( Pune ), and later to Yerwada jail. It was during this time that Kasturba Gandhi died at the Aga Khan Palace.

The people vs the Raj

The arrest of their leaders failed to deter the masses. With no one to give directions, people took the movement into their own hands.

In Bombay, Poona, and Ahmedabad , hundreds of thousands of ordinary Indians clashed with the police. The following day (August 10), protests erupted in Delhi, UP, and Bihar. There were strikes, demonstrations and people’s marches in defiance of prohibitory orders in Kanpur, Patna, Varanasi, and Allahabad.

The protests spread rapidly into smaller towns and villages. Till mid-September, police stations, courts, post offices, and other symbols of government authority came under repeated attack. Railway tracks were blocked, students went on strike in schools and colleges across India, and distributed illegal nationalist literature. Mill and factory workers in Bombay, Ahmedabad, Poona, Ahmednagar, and Jamshedpur stayed away for weeks.

In some places, the protests were violent. Bridges were blown up, telegraph wires were cut, and railway lines were taken apart. On the 25th anniversary of the Quit India Movement, the socialist leader Ram Manohar Lohia wrote: “9th August was and will remain a people’s event. 15th August was a state event… 9th August 1942 expressed the will of the people — we want to be free, and we shall be free. For the first time after a long period in our history, crores of people expressed their desire to be free…”

The slogan ‘Quit India’

While Gandhi gave the clarion call of Quit India, the slogan was coined by Yusuf Meherally, a socialist and trade unionist who also served as Mayor of Bombay. A few years ago, in 1928, it was Meherally who had coined the slogan “Simon Go Back”.

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Brutal suppression of protests

The Quit India movement was violently suppressed by the British — people were shot and lathicharged, villages were burnt, and backbreaking fines were imposed. In the five months up to December 1942, an estimated 60,000 people had been thrown into jail.

However, though the movement was quelled, it changed the character of the Indian freedom struggle, with the masses rising up to demand with a passion and intensity like never before: that the British masters would have to Quit India.

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Quit India Movement: Essay and Important Facts

The fourth decade of the twentieth century is of utmost importance in the history of India’s struggle for freedom. This was the period of the Second World War (1939 -1945), which shattered the mighty British Empire to its core. During the Second World War, in 1942, the Allied Powers (the Soviet Union, the United States of America, and the United Kingdom) suffered losses in South East Asia. Being a British Colony, India feared the Japanese attack during the war, and hence Britain wanted Indian support in the war for which Britain sent Cripps Mission to India; however, the Cripps Mission failed to pacify Indian leaders. After the failure of the Cripps Mission, Mahatma Gandhi launched the Quit India Movement at the Bombay session of the All India Congress Committee at the Gowalia Tank Maidan on 8 August 1942; the movement is also known as the August Kranti Movement.

Quit India Resolution

On 14 July 1942, the Congress Working Committee at Wardha adopted a resolution, demanding an end to British rule in India following which a movement called the Quit India Movement started under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi. On 8 August 1942, in his Quit India speech at the Gowalia Tank Maidan, Mahatma Gandhi said,

Everyone of you should from this moment onwards consider yourself a free man or women and act as if you are free. I am not going to satisfy with anything short of complete freedom. We shall do or die .We shall either free India or die in the attempt”

While proposing massive civil disobedience, Mahatma Gandhi summoned people from different sections of the society like government servants, soldiers, students, and princes of princely states.

Spread of the movement

On 9 August 1942, all Congress leaders were arrested and taken to some unknown location. The Congress Working Committee, the All India Congress Committee, and the Provincial Congress Committees were declared unlawful associations under the Criminal Law Amendment Act of 1908. Public meetings were strictly prohibited. As the senior leaders were under arrest, the responsibility of spearheading the movement came into the hands of young leaders. Aruna Asif Ali, a relatively unknown figure at that time presided over the Congress Committee session on 9 August 1942.

The arrest of Mahatma Gandhi and others and the underground activity

Mahatma Gandhi and Sarojini Naidu were arrested and kept in Aga Khan Palace in Pune. Dr. Rajendra Prasad and Jayaprakash Narayan were arrested in Patna and kept in Hazaribagh jail, but Jaiprakash Narayan escaped, and he started an underground network. Ram Manohar Lohiya, Jayaprakash Narayan, Aruna Asif Ali, Tushar Mehta, Biju Patnaik, Achyut Patwardhan, Sucheta Kriplani, and RP Goenka were actively involved in these underground activities. Usha Mehta was famous for starting an underground radio in Bombay. The main aim of these underground activities was to keep up the movement alive in the absence of its main leaders.

A newspaper cutting about the arrest of Mahatma Gandhi and others during the Quit India Movement in 1942

Parallel governments across the country

A significant feature of the Quit India Movement was the emergence of parallel governments in some parts of the country. The first such parallel government was set up in Ballia in Eastern UP under Chittu Pandey. He was responsible for the release of many arrested Congress leaders. In Tamluk (Medinipur Bengal), the ‘Jatiya Sarkar’ or Tamluk National Government undertook cyclone relief work, sanctioned grants to schools, and supplied paddy from the rich to the poor. In Satara (Maharashtra), a parallel government called ‘Prati Sarkar’ was organized under the leadership of YB Chavan, Nanaji Patel, etc. Village libraries and Nyayadan Mandals were organized, prohibition campaigns carried out, and ‘Gandhi Marriages’ were organized.

Prati Sarkar, a parallel government in Satara, Maharashtra during the Quit India Movement in 1942

Participation of the masses and the movement gaining momentum

There was wide participation of the people from every section of society. Youth, especially the students of schools and colleges, remained at the forefront. Women, workers, and peasants showed keen interest in participation. Government officials also participated in the movement to some extent. Muslims all across the country helped the movement to gain momentum by providing shelter to the underground leaders, and there was a complete absence of communal clashes during the movement. Contrary to popular sentiments, some organizations did not participate in the movement but rather opposed it. Communists, Muslim League, and Hindu Mahasabha were prominent among these. Many princely states showed a cold response to the movement, and the heads of these princely states were not enthusiastic about the movement.

Participation of masses during the Quit India Movement in 1942

Government’s tactic to suppress the movement

There was heavy repression from the government side. The agitating people were attacked, Lathi charged, and tear-gassed by the police. More than 10,000 people were killed across the country. The military took over many cities. The disobedient villages were fined heavily.

Police teargas demonstrators during the Quit India Movement in 1942

Consequences

Though the government succeeded in suppressing the movement, this movement demonstrated that the Nationalist feeling in the common masses had reached its zenith, and Britishers realized that they would no longer rule India against the wishes of its people. By this time, the immediate agenda of the movement had become ‘complete independence.’ The courage and resistance that the masses showed in this movement were unparalleled. The people wanted to get India free from the shackles of slavery, oppression, and insult. The dawn of freedom was near. In February 1943, Mahatma Gandhi started a fast to condemn the violence that the common people faced during government repression. Meanwhile, the Muslim League demanded a separate state of Pakistan and observed Pakistan Day on 23 March 1943, giving a clear message to the Muslim population that their fate was different from secular India.

Important Facts

• After the failure of the Cripps Mission in 1942, there was a feeling of frustration among all sections of the people across India.

The presence of British Empire in India is an invitation to Japan to invade.”

•  In July 1942, a resolution was adopted by the Congress Working Committee, which is generally referred to as the ‘Quit India resolution,’ under which a non-violent movement was started under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi. Through individual civil disobedience, organizational revamping, and a consistent propaganda campaign, Mahatma Gandhi was preparing the masses for bigger future agitations against British Raj.
• On 9th August 1942, the big leaders of the Congress were arrested and taken to an unknown location. Consequently, leadership in the movement was provided by less-known leaders like Aruna Asif Ali.
• Congress and its associated organizations were declared illegal under the Criminal Law Amendment Act 1908.
• Many leaders like Jayaprakash Narayan, Aruna Asif Ali, Usha Mehta, etc., went underground and continued disruptive activities to keep the movement alive.
• An important feature of the Quit India Movement was the formation of parallel governments in many places across India like Ballia, Tamluk, and Satara.
• There was immense participation in the movement across various activities of society, which included women, youth, workers, government officials, and the Muslim population.
• Communists, the Muslim League, and the Hindu Mahasabha did not support the movement.
• The government suppressed the movement with an iron hand, killing more than 10,000 people, and many villages were fined heavily for participating in the movement.
•  This movement removed fear from the minds of the people against Colonial rule, demanding an end to British rule in India.

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Quit India Movement - Causes, Impact, Limitations, Significance

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GS-I: Modern History

Prelims : History of India and Indian National Movement.

Mains : Modern Indian History from about the middle of the eighteenth century until the present- significant events, personalities, issues.

Quit India Movement was a massive anti-colonial struggle in India, launched on August 8, 1942 , under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi, who gave the mantra of “Do or Die” during this Movement. Projected initially as the civil disobedience movement, this ‘third great wave’ of India’s struggle for freedom soon took a violent turn with the aim of ‘fight to the finish’ of the colonial empire. Gandhi, understanding the mood of the nation and the importance of individual liberties, was even prepared for riots and violence caused by the Quit India Movement as he thought it morally correct to defend against the state’s organised violence.

Also known as the “ August Kranti Movement,” Quit India Movement was more a rejection of British rule than a traditional Satyagraha and also influenced the unprecedented and tumultuous events for the next five years in Indian history.

Causes of Quit India Movement

The Quit India Movement was the culmination of years of Indian disillusionment with British rule, with the immediate causes being the failure of Cripps mission , hardships caused during World War II and the Japanese knocking at the doors of Indian borders. Some of the major causes of the Quit India Movement are as follows:

• The Indian people had grown increasingly disillusioned with the British government's failure to fulfil its promises regarding India's self-rule.
• The British, although they gained Indian support in World War II, did not want to transfer the power easily.
• The August offer and Cripps mission failed to satisfy the demands of the nationalists.
• Further, the British support to the demand of Pakistan by the Muslim League was making the Indian nationalists (particularly Gandhi) infuriated.
• By 1942, India's struggle for independence had been ongoing for several decades. The nationalistic sentiments were at its peak, and people grew increasingly impatient with British rule.
• The extent and activities of the people during the Quit India Movement also reflect this sentiment.
• They had participated wholeheartedly in the Individual Satyagraha movements of 1940. Further, along with the Kisan Sabha movements, it had prepared the ground for the final battle against the imperialist forces.
• They already had tasted the sweetness of self-rule through the Congress rule in the period of 1937-39.
• Therefore, now the people wanted to drive out the British from India.
• India's participation in World War II placed significant economic burdens and restrictions on the country.
• The war effort led to rising prices, shortages of essential goods, and increased taxation, causing immense hardships for the Indian population.
• The shortage of supply of essential goods and the export of rice caused large-scale deprivation and death, ultimately resulting in the Bengal Famine of 1943.
• Reverses suffered by the British in Southeast Asia and the advancement of Japanese troops towards the borders of India increased the popular discontent among the people.
• The retreat of the British troops from Burma further enhanced this fear.
• The British attitude towards Indian subjects also exposed the racial discrimination policy of the British.
• Indians thought they were on their own. Thus there was the utmost need of a nationalist government to defend its borders.
• And in this situation, the failure of the Cripps Mission led Gandhi and Congress to launch the final strike against the British.

The Quit India Movement was the culmination of years of Indian disillusionment with British rule, with the immediate causes being the failure of Cripps mission, hardships caused during World War II and the Japanese knocking at the doors of Indian borders. Some of the major causes of the Quit India Movement are as follows:

Launch of the Quit India Movement

Congress Working Committee of the Indian National Congress met at Wardha on July 14, 1942, and decided to launch a mass civil disobedience movement under the leadership of Gandhi.

• Formal launch: The All India Congress Committee met at Gowalia Tank, Bombay, on 8 August 1942 and passed the famous Quit India Resolution. Gandhi sloganed his 'Do or Die' call on the same day.
• Demands: It demanded an end to British rule in India with immediate effect, the formation of a provisional government after the war and the declaration of free India.
• Mahatma Gandhi was imprisoned in Poona.
• Jawaharlal Nehru, Abul Kalam Azad, and other leaders were imprisoned in the Ahmednagar Fort.

Nature of the Quit India Movement

Although the Movement was initially started as a civil disobedience movement, it differed from other movements launched by Gandhi.

• Different from earlier movements:
• The NCM of 1920-22 and the CDM of 1930-34 were conceived as the peaceful resistance to British rule, and the social base expanded slowly to accommodate wider participation of people.
• On the contrary, the Quit India Movement was a massive uprising from the very beginning to compel the British to quit India.
• The British’ attitude towards Indians and their endorsement to Jinnah’s communal polity frustrated Gandhi.
• Knowing the mood of the Indians, especially in the limited but symbolic Individual Satyagrahas, he even believed that the masses could adopt a violent path in self-defence against a well-equipped and strong aggressor. It was reflected in his article in ‘the Harijan’ in March 1942.
• He opined that every individual must consider himself free and should act for himself to attain freedom.
• Thus, he was more concerned for the ends (freedom) than the means (methods). 
• Clear goal and objectives: The 1942 Movement’s goal was less ambiguous in its objectives as it was launched to make the complete withdrawal of the British from India. It has four main features:
• Accommodative of violence against the state,
• Aimed at destroying the British rule involving anybody believing in complete independence instead of trained satyagrahis,
• Students were called to play the major role and should lead the Movement after the arrest of senior Congress leaders and
• Total defiance of government authority.
• Once the main leaders were arrested on 9 August, the Movement took a radical turn, often cited as the most ‘un-Gandhian’ method of the freedom movement. 
• As Gandhi had already sanctioned violence and the role of younger generations, the movement developed at the grassroots level.
• Purpose: The purpose of such underground activities was to maintain popular morale, establish a line of command, provide guidance, and distribute arms and ammunition.
• Key personalities: Rammanohar Lohia, Jayaprakash Narayan, Aruna Asaf Ali, Usha Mehta, Biju Patnaik, Chhotubhai Puranik, Achyut Patwardhan, Sucheta Kripalani, and R.P. Goenka. Usha Mehta established an underground radio station in Bombay.
• Parallel governments: The movement also saw the emergence of parallel governments in certain parts of India.

Spread of the Quit India Movement

Quit India Movement had two phases: themass movement phase (August to September 1942), and the quasi-guerrilla insurgency phase (afterwards). The people started burning and destroying anything that symbolised British authority, such as post offices, police stations, government buildings, Railways and telegraph lines. The scale of participation in Bihar and eastern UP was unparalleled.

Regional Participation in the Quit India Movement

• Students, peasants, and workers were actively involved in the Quit India Movement. The underground activities were strong there, which practically broke the law and order. 
• Severe organisations and dacoit gangs were active, having links with Jayprakash Narayan and other members of the Congress Socialist Party.
• JP Narayan and Rammanohar Lohia formed a parallel government based on the Nepal border till 1944.
• The socialist group Azad Dastas carried out underground activities in Bihar.
• Armed villagers targeted police posts and local courts and engaged in looting.
• There were strikes in Kanpur, Lucknow and Nagpur and violent clashes with striking millworkers in Delhi.
• The Quit India Movement primarily occurred in towns and cities , where protests, acts of sabotage, and damage to essential services took place.
•  In many parts of Bengal, the worker, tribal and peasant movements picked up momentum by linking up with the Quit India movement.
• In districts such as East Khandesh, Satara, Broach, and Surat large numbers of peasants took part in guerrilla-style attacks on government property, lines of communication, and people known to be sympathetic to British rule.
• In Gujarat, a parallel government called the "Azad Government" was established in Ahmedabad, replicating the existing administrative structure.
• Bombay was inspired by inciting underground publications such as the Bombay Provincial Bulletin, Do or Die News-sheet, Free India, War of India Bulletin, Free State of India Gazette and the Congress Gazette.
• South India: K.T. Bhashyam, a Bangalore-based Congress leader who was active in trade unions and organised strikes.

Social Base

• Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh witnessed the unprecedented participation of the students.
• Militant students of Patna and Benares played a significant role in this movement.
• Peasants: The extent of the peasants’ participation was limited as the Quit India Movement was focused more on nationalism than anything else. Still, in Bihar and Eastern UP, they were more active.
• Tribals: In Bengal and Orissa, they participated in the struggle.
• Government officials: Government employees, particularly those from lower ranks of the police and administration, took part, which decreased people's devotion to the government. Some government officials , including police, passed on secret information to the activists.
• Women: Women's participation was remarkable during the Quit India Movement. They actively took part in protests, strikes, and demonstrations and played a significant role in organising and mobilising local communities.

Limitations of the Quit India Movement

While the Quit India Movement played a crucial role in India's struggle for independence, it also had several limitations that affected its overall impact:

• Failed to meet its objectives: The movement did not immediately lead to freedom , and it took more years of struggle and negotiations before independence was achieved.
• Lack of central leadership: The lack of central leadership hindered effective coordination and decision-making, leading to confusion and fragmentation within the movement.
• Muslim League, Communist Party of India, and Hindu Mahasabha were against the Movement.
• Bureaucracy was also against the Movement.
• B. R. Ambedkar and Periyar were also against the Movement.
• Communal divide:
• Muslim participation in the movement was even lower than the CDM. Jinnah appealed to Muslims to join the armed forces.
• Muslim League used this time period to mobilise masses that helped it in the next elections of 1945-46, which strengthened its demand of a separate state, ultimately resulting in the Partition .
• Further, there were some areas of communal violence during the Movement.
• Neglected by historians:
• This is due to the absence of the major political parties and the leaders playing the central role in the Quit India Movement.

Significance of the Quit India Movement

The Quit India Movement was active until 1944 when the British ruthlessly crushed it. Although it failed to oust the British from India, which was its objective, the Movement was a significant phase of India’s quest for self-rule.

• In terms of spirit and enthusiasm, this Movement beat all the other earlier movements.
• NCM was urban-based, and CDM was wider, but the QIM was the most violent and radical, supported mainly by the poor and labour class, the hardest hit by wartime inflation.
• Despite the lack of central leadership, the role played by the younger generations, peasants, tribals, and women was unparalleled.
• The mass participation, especially in some parts of India, was unprecedented.
• It was a movement of the subaltern classes of India with a bottom-up approach from the grassroots level.
• The movement witnessed the central role played by the Congress Socialist Party’s leaders, such as  JP Narayan and Ram Manohar Lohia.
• Further, it also gave birth to some young generation leaders, like Aruna Asaf Ali. 
• The way for independence: Although it did not immediately achieve its goals, it contributed to the weakening of British rule and set the tone for future protests such as during the INA Trials.

PYQs on Quit India Movement

Q)  With reference to 8th August 1942 in Indian history, which one of the following statements is correct? (UPSC Prelims 2021)

a) The Quit India Resolution was adopted by the AICC.

b) The Viceroy’s Executive Council was expanded to include more Indians.

c) The Congress ministries resigned in seven provinces.

d) Cripps proposed an Indian Union with full Dominion status once the Second World War was over.

Answer: (a)

Q)  With reference to Indian freedom struggle, consider the following events: (UPSC Prelims 2017)

• Mutiny in Royal Indian Navy
• Quit India Movement launched
• Second Round Table Conference

What is the correct chronological sequence of the above events?

a) 1 – 2– 3

b) 2 – 1 – 3

c) 3 – 2 – 1

d) 3 – 1 – 2

Answer: (c)

Q)  Quit India Movement was launched in response to (UPSC Prelims 2013)

a) Cabinet Mission Plan

b) Cripps Proposals

c) Simon Commission Report

d) Wavell Plan

Answer: (b)

FAQs on the Quit India Movement

What was the reason for launching the quit india movement.

The failure of the Cripps Mission was the immediate cause of the Quit India movement . The INC did not provide unconditional support to the British during World War II, as the British assumed. Among the Indian masses, the sense of nationalism and self-rule had grown in popularity.

Who launched the Quit India Movement?

On 8 August 1942, at the All-India Congress Committee session in Bombay, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi launched the 'Quit India movement’. The next day, Gandhi, Nehru and many other leaders of the Indian National Congress were arrested by the British Government.

What was the Quit India Movement's slogan?

The slogan of the Quit India Movement was "Do or Die." This slogan reflected the Indian people's determination to achieve independence from British rule at any cost. As a result, the movement is regarded as a pivotal event in India's struggle for independence from oppressive British rule.

Who was known as the Queen of Quit India Movement?

The prominent female leader known as the "Queen of the Quit India Movement" was Aruna Asaf Ali. She played a significant role in the Indian independence movement and was an influential figure during the Quit India Movement of 1942.

What is the role of Rani Gaidinliu in the Quit India Movement?

Rani Gaidinliu established the Naga Raj movement and rallied support from various Naga tribes to resist British control during the Quit India Movement. In 1944, Rani Gaidinliu was arrested by the British authorities and sentenced to life imprisonment for her involvement in the independence movement. She was released in 1947 following India's independence.

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Quit India Movement 1942, Phases, Causes, Impact and Outcomes

Quit India Movement started in year 1942 which was led by Mahatma Gandhi, to get freedom from British Government. Get here Quit India Movement Anniversary 2023 related information.

Table of Contents

The Quit India Movement started on August 8, 1942, also known as the August Kranti Movement, calling for the end of British rule in India at the All India Congress Committee’s session in Bombay.

It is an important topic of the UPSC History Syllabus and an important event of the Indian Freedom Struggle for Independence . UPSC aspirants should know the complete details about Quit India Movements for Prelims and Mains. 

Quit India Movement 

• Quit India Movement is observed annually on August 8, 1942. Quit India Movement Day is a day to remember the sacrifices made by the Indian freedom fighters and people in their fight for independence.
• At the meeting of the All-India Congress Committee in Mumbai, Mahatma Gandhi demanded the end of British rule and launched the Quit India Movement. In his address at the Gowalia Tank Maidan, now referred to as August Kranti Maidan, Mahatma Gandhi urged listeners to “Do or Die”.
• The Indian flag was raised at the Gowalia Tank Maidan in Mumbai during the Quit India Movement by Aruna Asaf Ali, also referred to as the “ Grand Old Lady ” of the Independence Movement. Yusuf Meherally, a socialist and trade unionist who served as Mayor of Mumbai, is the author of the phrase “Quit India.”

Quit India Movement Causes

• Failed Cripps mission: Indian leaders reject limited British concessions.
• Dissatisfaction with British rule: Indians suffered from economic exploitation, discrimination and lack of political representation.
• Impact of World War II: Indians opposed the decision of the British to include India in the war without consultation.
• Growing nationalism: Growing nationalist sentiments inspired by leaders like Gandhi and Nehru fueled the demand for independence.
• Pressure from global movements: The success of anti-colonial movements around the world inspired Indian nationalism.
• Gandhi’s leadership: Gandhi’s call for non-violent civil disobedience united Indians against British rule.
• Suppression of civil liberties: British suppression of dissent, including the arrest of leaders, provoked anger and resentment.

Quit India Movement Phases

Quit India Movement Phases are categorised into three phases that are described below in detail. Quit India Movement Day is commemorated every year on 8 August in India.

Quit India Movement of 1942 Impacts

The Quit India Movement of 1942, also known as the August Movement or Bharat Chhodo Andolan, was a civil disobedience movement that was a major turning point in India’s freedom struggle. The movement had many effects, including:

• New leaders: Aruna Asaf Ali became president of the Indian National Congress, and other new leaders emerged, including Ram Manohar Lohia, JP Narayan, and Usha Mehta.
• Political changes: Organizations like the Rashtriya Swayam Sevak Sangh, Hindu Mahasabha, and Muslim League gained popularity.
• Arrests: The government arrested nearly 100,000 people, including women and children, and kept them imprisoned until 1945. The government also declared the INC illegal and banned it.
• Complete freedom: India gained complete freedom on August 15, 1947.

Quit India Movement Importance

• The government used harsh repression tactics, but the populace was unmoved and kept up their fight.
• Even though the government claimed that independence could only be granted when the war ended, the movement emphasized that Indians must be involved in governance for it to work.
• The movement prioritized calling for total independence as the main goal of the freedom movement. Public spirit and anti-British feelings were raised.
• Underground activities were carried out by figures who eventually became well-known leaders such as Ram Manohar Lohia, J.P. Narayan, Aruna Asaf Ali, Sucheta Kriplani, and Biju Patnaik.
• Women participated actively in the movement.
• Usha Mehta, among other female activists, contributed to the establishment of an underground radio station, which sparked awareness of the movement.
• The Quit India Movement has strengthened the sense of brotherhood and unity among people.
• Many high school and college kids dropped out, while lots of adults quit their jobs and took money out of the banks.
• The costs of World War II led the British to come to the important conclusion that India was unmanageable in the long run, even though the Quit India movement collapsed in 1944 as a result of their insistence that independence could only take place when the war was over and their refusal to grant it immediately.
• The character of political negotiations with the British was altered, ultimately leading to India’s independence.

Quit India Movement UPSC

The Violence that wasn’t planned happened in certain places during the Quit India movement. The British forcefully put an end to the movement; people were shot, and lathi-charged, villages were set on fire, and huge fines were imposed. To suppress the unrest, the authorities used brutality and detained more than 100,000 individuals.

Many parties and collaborations like the Hindu Mahasabha, the Communist Party of India, and the Muslim League opposed this movement . The movement was also not supported by the Indian bureaucracy. The League opposed the British leaving India without first dividing the nation. Since the British were associated with the Soviet Union, the Communist Party supported them.

The Hindu Mahasabha publicly rejected the Quit India Movement’s appeal and boycotted it out of concern that it would lead to internal unrest and threaten internal security during the war. Subhas Chandra Bose organized the Azad Hind administration and the Indian National Army while operating from outside. Because they opposed Mahatma Gandhi’s concept, many Congress members, including C Rajagopalachari, resigned from the provincial legislature.

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Quit India Movement FAQs

What are the main points of the quit india movement.

An end to British dominion over India right now. A declaration of free India’s determination to fight off all forms of imperialism and fascism. Formation of India’s interim government following the exit of the British. During a movement of civil disobedience against British rule.

Who started Quit India Movement?

 At a meeting of the All-India Congress Committee in Bombay on August 8, 1942, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi announced the start of the “Quit India” movement. The British government detained Gandhi, Nehru, and many other Indian National Congress leaders the following day.

Why did Gandhi launch Quit India Movement?

To get the British to leave India, Mahatma Gandhi started the Quit India movement in 1942. During this agitation, several Indian National Congress (INC) members were detained.

Who gave the Quit India slogan?

The Quit India Movement, also known as the Bharat Chhodo Andolan, was introduced by Mahatma Gandhi on August 8, 1942.

Who is the lady leader of the Quit India Movement?

Aruna Asaf Ali was a publisher, political activist, and educator from India. She was an ardent member of the campaign for Indian independence, and she is well-known for raising the Indian National flag at the Gowalia Tank Maidan in Bombay in 1942, during the Quit India Movement.

Who is the hero of the Quit India Movement?

Hero of the Quit India Movement are:

        Mahatma Gandhi         Jawaharlal Nehru         Subhash Chandra Bose         Jaiprakash Narain

When Quit India Movement ended?

The British came to the crucial conclusion that India was ungovernable in the long run as a result of the costs of World War II, even though the Quit India campaign was crushed in 1944 as a result of their refusal to grant immediate independence and instead insisting that it could only happen after the war had ended.

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Short Essay on Quit India Movement

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Amidst World War-II, on 8 th August 1940, the British Government announced ‘Dominion Status’ to India through its famous ‘August Offer’ which was rejected by the Indians.

The Cripps Mission of 1942 was another step ahead which suggested full ‘Dominion Status’ and also right to part from the British Commonwealth Nations. Thus proposal was rejected by the people of India .

Gandhi, who was not prepared to oppose the Government by a mass upsurge, so far, now changed his mind. He was convinced of the necessity of starting a mass movement again. He raised the slogan of ‘Do or Die’.

Quit India Resolution was passed on August 8, 1942, by the Indian National Congress . The Congress handed over the leadership of the movement entirely in the hands of Gandhi and appealed to the people of India to hold together under the leadership and carried out his instructions as disciplined soldiers of the Indian freedom.

Gandhi regarded the movement as the last struggle for Indian independence. In his speech before the All India Committee, he declared “it was going to be the last struggle of his life to win the freedom of India.”

The government became aware of the movement and prepared itself in advance. All the members of the Congress including Gandhi were arrested before they work. Other leaders were also arrested and people were left leaderless.

REAONS FOR THE QUIT INDIA MOVEMENT

Following were the main causes that led to the Quit India Movement.

• FAILURE OF THE CRIPPS MISSION :-the failure of the Cripps Mission to solve the constitutional deadlock exposed Britain’s unchanged attitude on constitutional advance and made it clear that any more silence would mean acceptance of the British right to decide the fate of Indians without consulting them.
• RISING PRICES :-hike in the prices and shortage of rice, salt etc. angered the people of Bengal and Orissa. British failed to calm down the angry people. Hence this also led to the rise of Quit India Movement.
• REVERSES IN THE SOUTH-EAST ASIA :-the news of defeat suffered by the British in South East Asia and an imminent Collapse made the Indians to believe that the British Government has become so weak that they can drive them away from their country. Moreover the belief in the stability of the government was so low that people started withdrawing their deposits from banks and post offices.
• RACIAL DISCRIMINATION :-after suffering reverses from South East Asia, left the subjects to their fate. Two roads were provided—Black Road for Indian refugees and White Road exclusively for European refugees. Thus the racist tendencies of the British were exposed. Thus Indians started Quit India Movement against the British rulers .
• DANGER OF JAPANESE INVASION :-there were the growing threat of Japanese invasion of India . Gandhi wanted to save India from that attack. He feared that if the British lost, Japanese might not take their place.

PHASES OF QUIT INDIA MOVEMENT

Quit India Movement has been popularly divided into three phases:

• THE FIRST PHASE

The first phase started from the day of arrest of Gandhi. The news of Quit India Movement and Gandhi’s arrest took the people unaware but the reaction was spontaneous.

All the major cities of India which included Bombay (now Mumbai) , Calcutta (now Kolkata), Bangalore, Ahmadabad and the entire nation came to a standstill. Government’s reaction was repressive which began with indiscriminate firing and mass arrest.

• THE SECOND PHASE

The second phase began from the middle of August when the focus shifted from the centre to the out skirts where the mob began to attack the court buildings. Places like eastern parts of U.P., Bihar, West Bengal , Karnataka, Maharashtra where the mob tried to set up parallel governments though short-lived and unsuccessful.

• THE THIRD PHASE

The large suppressions executed by the government helped the people to organise the third phase of the movement which entered its longest and most formidable phase.

This was characterised by the youth and was directed against communications and police confrontations, occasionally rising to the level of Guerrilla Warfare.

In Bombay, Poona, Satara, Karnataka and U.P., underground organisations became active. The Government atrocities crossed all the limits but failed to restrict the movement from reaching its climax.

FAILURE OF THE MOVEMENT

The Quit India Movement failed due to several reasons:

• The Muslim League did not extend its support to the movement.
• R. Ambedkar, the leader of the depressed class described the movement as ‘irresponsible and act of madness’.
• D. Sarvarakar, the leader of Hindu Mahasabha directed the Hindus not to participate in the movement.
• The apathetic attitude of different organisations towards the movement contributed a lot for its failure.
• As the prominent Congress leaders remained behind the bars, the movement could not receive proper direction.
• The faithfulness of the British officials also helped a lot for the failure of the movement.

IMPORTANCE OF THE MOVEMENT

The importance of the Quit India Movement can never be undermined. It witnessed nationalistic feelings of the people at the zenith.

• For the first time, the government was astonished by observing the powerful nationalistic feelings of the Indians added with Anti-British feelings.
• It convinced the British Government that their days were numbered in India and they had to free the country from their clutch.
• It hastened the process of India’s march towards freedom.
• Realising the anti-British feelings of the Indian people, the British Government changed its attitude.
• The Quit India Movement thus quickened the process of freedom.

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Quit India Movement

With the failure of the Cripps Mission, there was widespread discontentment among the Indians. Japan was advancing towards India and the fall of India to Japan was imminent. Gandhiji warned that only a free India could defend herself and he urged for the right of self-determination to Indians.

But there was also a difference of opinion among the Indian leaders. While Gandhiji demanded that the British should immediately withdraw from India, Subhash Chandra Bose from Berlin urged for co-operation with Japan as with this means India would be liberated.

The difficulties of Britain would be the opportunities of India. Since the Congress was opposed both to British and Japanese imperialism, the call of Subhas did not appeal to them. Another eminent leader of the Congress, C. Rajagopalachari did not support the proposal of immediate withdrawal of Britishers.

He was, rather in favour of accepting the Cripps proposal and the principle of Pakistan. Being unable to agree with the proposals of Gandhiji, Rajagopalachari resigned from Congress.

Image Source: ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/1200×675/p01wrjll.jpg

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Gandhiji adopted a stern attitude to pressurize the British Government to quit India. But when this proposal did not receive any response from the government, the Congress Working Committee met at Wardha on 14th July 1942 and adopted the famous “Quit India Resolution”. With little modification this resolution was adopted by the All India Congress Committee at its Bombay session on 8 th August 1942. The Committee asserted India’s right to freedom and decided to start a mass struggle on non-violent means on the widest possible scale.

Addressing the Conference, Gandhiji gave the call “Do or Die”, either to get India free or to die in this attempt. But before the movement could be launched Gandhiji and all other leaders of the Congress were imprisoned. Thus, the people were left leaderless. People took it as a challenge and resorted to hartals, mass meetings, processions etc. The Government banned them all and imposed section 144 at most of the places.

The police forcefully dispersed the public meetings, “lathi charged” and even fired at the public. The Congress was declared an unlawful association. In the absence of leaders, people voluntarily did whatever they could in protest of the British rule . Under this circumstance, it was impossible to continue the movement in non-violent means.

image source: ceylontrip.com/wp-content/uploads/British-Ceylon-history-sri-lanka-steuart-holidays.jpg

The people disrupted railway lines, burnt out police and railway stations, destroyed telephone and telegraph poles. The revolt was spearheaded by the students, peasants, workers and lower middle class people. People set up parallel government at some places. The government was able to crush the open movement with a heavy hand. But the underground movement continued for a long period. The Socialist Party under the leadership of Jaya Prakash Narain, Ram Manohar Lohia, and Mrs. Aruna Asaf Ali etc. largely participated in organizing underground movement.

The Quit India Movement was not supported by the Muslim League and the Communists. When Russia joined the war on behalf of the Allies, the communists began to demand the withdrawal of the movement and pleaded all support to the government in its war effort. The Muslim League considered the movement as the attempt of the Congress to turn out the British forcefully as a result of which Muslims would be enslaved by the Hindus. Even the depressed class leader Dr. B.R. Ambedkar described the movement as irresponsible and an act of madness.

The movement collapsed as it lacked leadership and organisation from the beginning. Jayaprakash Narain said that the movement failed due to lack of co-ordination among the Congress people agitating in different parts of the country. There was absence of a clear cut programme of action. Another weakness of the movement was that it was confined only to students, peasants and lower middle class. But the upper middle class had lost their faith in the Gandhian methods of action.

Thus, the movement did not enjoy widespread popularity which greatly contributed to its failure. But the movement was not a dismal failure; rather the movement of 1942 gave the death blow to the British rule. India’s march towards freedom was hastened. This movement sparked off an aggressive national consciousness. Many people sacrificed their careers, property and even lives.

The movement also created a World-wide opinion particularly in U.S.A. and China in favour of India’s independence. President F.D. Roosevelt of U.S.A, put pressure on the British Government to grant the right of self determination to India. On the whole, the movement had its own importance and facilitated the freedom movement in India.

Related Articles:

• Provisions of the Cabinet Mission Plan during Quit India Movement
• History of the Quit India Movement
• Essay on Quit India Movement (1942)
• Role of Gandhiji in Quit Indian Movement

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