Quit India Movement (1942): The Final Mass Movement Against British Rule

The Quit India Movement, which started on August 8, 1942, was probably one of the most decisive mass movements in India’s fight for independence from Britain. Initiated by Mahatma Gandhi and Indian National Congress, the movement was aimed at immediate withdrawal of British rule from India. “The historic slogan of the movement was coined by Gandhiji – ‘Do or Die’”.

Also known as the August Kranti Movement, the movement took place in the context of World War II, failure of the Cripps Mission, wartime difficulties and dissatisfaction with British rule in India. Despite suppression of the movement by arrests and use of force, the uprising all across India greatly weakened the colonial rule and was another major step towards independence of India in 1947.

What Was the Quit India Movement?

The Quit India Movement was a mass anti-colonial movement that was started by Indian National Congress during World War II. It was aimed at termination of British rule in India and establishment of an independent government in India.

The Working Committee of Congress had taken a decision on starting a mass movement at Wardha on July 14, 1942. The final resolution regarding the Quit India was adopted at Gowalia Tank Maidan in Bombay by the All India Congress Committee on August 8, 1942.

The same day, Gandhi pronounced his famous slogan of “Do or Die”. The next day, August 9, the British government arrested Gandhi and other leading members of Congress Party, but the movement went on.

Why Did the Quit India Movement Begin?

There were various reasons, political, economic and international in nature that formed the grounds for the launch of the movement.

First, the Cripps mission of 1942 failed since the British offered no promise of immediate independence to India which disappointed Indian nationalists. Moreover, refusal of the British government to give up political power made things worse.

Also, World War II had caused difficult economic conditions. Inflation, shortage of necessities and wartime restrictions affected Indians. Those conditions contributed to the rise of dissatisfaction with the colonial government.

Finally, the rapid advance of Japanese troops in South-East Asia and retreat of the British from Burma demonstrated how fragile was the position of the British Empire in the region. On the other hand, the feelings of nationalistic sentiment had already been stirred by previous movements and work of Congress provincial governments between 1937 and 1939.

The Launch of the Quit India Movement

On August 8, 1942, All India Congress Committee passed the Quit India Resolution in Bombay. Gandhi asked the people to fight for their freedom with the historical slogan “Do or Die”.

This movement required immediate end to the rule of Britain and creation of the independent Indian government.

British authorities answered almost immediately. During August 8-9, the main leaders of the Congress party, including Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, were put in jail.

However, rather than stoping the movement, the arrests had turned it into a largely unorganized one.

How Is the Quit India Movement Different?

The Quit India Movement is different from the previous Non-Cooperation and Civil Disobedience movements.

While those movements used a rather organized structure of non-violent resistance, the sudden arrests of the leaders in 1942 led local activists, students, workers and ordinary citizens to act on their own.

Government properties, railway tracks, telegraphic communications and any other symbols of the colonial power were attacked in some regions. Underground organizations were established to conduct the communication and resistance activities.

Therefore, the movement took the forms that went beyond the control of the main leaders of the Congress party.

Major Leaders of the Quit India Movement

Although the Congress leaders were jailed, some major leaders contributed to sustaining the movement.

Aruna Asaf Ali became a symbol of the movement after hoisting Congress flag at Gowalia Tank during the movement of 1942.

Jayaprakash Narayan and Ram Manohar Lohia were some of the major leaders of the underground movement. An underground radio station in Bombay was maintained by Usha Mehta, which disseminated nationalist messages despite the fact that the communication channels were under control of the British.

The other leaders associated with the movement were Sucheta Kripalani, Achyut Patwardhan and Biju Patnaik.

Parallel Governments During the Quit India Movement

Establishment of parallel governments or alternative governments in some regions of India is one of the unique characteristics of the movement of 1942.

An important personality in Ballia district, Uttar Pradesh was Chittu Pandey who established a parallel government in this region temporarily.

Jatiya Sarkar was established in Tamluk of Bengal during 1942-44, which performed tasks like relief works in the community.

One of the most important parallel government was established in Satara, Maharashtra. The leaders of this government were Nana Patil and others, which established alternative institutions, including justice system.

People Who Participated in the Movement

Participants in this movement were people belonging to various sectors of the Indian society. There were students, workers, peasants, women and also some government employees who protested and conducted themselves underground.

The areas where the most significant participation took place were Bihar and eastern part of Uttar Pradesh. Also some parts of Bengal and western India took part in the agitation.

The role of women in conducting this protest was vital. They maintained underground networks and organized protests and strikes. It was because of participation of youth that this movement took on a mass character.

Suppression of the Movement by the British

In response to this movement there was a lot of repression by the British government. The Congress was declared an unlawful organization and thousands of people were arrested. There was use of police and military power to crush the demonstrations, strikes and sabotage.

The arrest of the central leadership had an adverse effect on the co-ordination of the movement. However, due to its decentralised structure, it was difficult for the British Government to crush it at once.

It was gradually suppressed by the continuous repression of the British Government in 1944.

Why Quit India Movement Failed

Though the immediate goal of this movement of forcing the British to leave India was not achieved, there was a number of reasons behind it. Firstly, the movement failed because of arrest of its central leadership.

Another reason of failure of this movement was lack of uniformity among its participants. Muslim League, Communist Party of India and Hindu Mahasabha did not give support to the call of the Congress party in a similar way. Dr B.R. Ambedkar and Periyar opposed this movement.

Importance of the Quit India Movement

While the Quit India Movement did not directly compel the British to leave India in 1942, the importance of this movement from an historical perspective was immense.

This movement illustrated the strength of Indian opposition against colonial rule as well as the fact that British rule could no longer rest on any assumption of acquiescence. It also indicated that there were now thousands of Indians ready to confront the colonial authorities head-on.

The emergence of underground leaders and parallel governments indicated that the Indians were gaining strength in terms of challenging the existing colonial set-up and replacing it by their own.

The movement also helped create a political environment in the post-war period, which was evident through such events as the INA trials in 1945-46 and the RIN mutiny in 1946.