Question

Examine the causes and events of the Quit India Movement.

Hint:

• Quit India was the most violent of Gandhi's three major movements, as people reacted to the immediate arrest of their leaders.
• The movement was particularly strong in Bihar and Eastern UP, where thousands of people were arrested or killed.

Answer 1

Concept:

• The Quit India Movement (August 1942) was the third and final great mass struggle led by Mahatma Gandhi.
• It was launched at a time when World War II was at its peak and the British were facing significant pressure from the Japanese advance in Southeast Asia.

Step 1: Causes: The failure of the Cripps Mission
The immediate cause was the failure of the Cripps Mission in early 1942. Sir Stafford Cripps had failed to promise a definite timeline for independence or to give Indians control over defense.
This convinced Gandhi and the Congress that the British had no intention of granting real power. Simultaneously, the rising prices and shortages of essential goods due to the war were creating intense public resentment against British rule.

Step 2: The 'Do or Die' call and the launch
On August 8, 1942, at the Gowalia Tank Maidan in Bombay, the Congress passed the Quit India Resolution.
Gandhi gave the famous mantra: "Do or Die" (Karo ya Maro). He called upon every Indian to behave as if they were already free. The British responded preemptively by arresting all top Congress leaders, including Gandhi and Nehru, on the morning of August 9th.

Step 3: The leaderless rebellion and widespread events
Because the leadership was in jail, the movement became a spontaneous, leaderless rebellion.
Young activists like Jayaprakash Narayan and Aruna Asaf Ali led underground resistance. In many parts of India, such as Satara (Maharashtra) and Tamluk (Bengal), 'Prati-Sarkar' (parallel governments) were established. Despite brutal repression by the British, the movement proved that India could no longer be governed without the consent of its people.