Quit India Movement
The August Revolution, also known as the Quit India Movement, was a campaign launched by Mahatma Gandhi on August 8, 1942, during World War I, to end British rule in India. The movement began after Mahatma Gandhi gave a speech in Mumbai's Gowalia Tank Maidan, in which he asked Indians to "Do or Die."
CAUSES• The Second World War had begun in 1939, and Japan, as part of the Axis Powers opposing the British in the war, was gaining ground on India's north-eastern frontiers.
• The British had abandoned their territories in Southeast Asia, leaving their people to fend for themselves. The Indian population, which had doubts about the British ability to defend India against Axis aggression, was not impressed by this act.
• Gandhi also believed that if the British were to leave India, Japan would have no reason to invade the country.
• In addition to hearing about British defeats in the war, wartime hardships such as high prices for essential commodities fueled resentment of the British government.
• The INC called for a mass civil disobedience movement after the Cripps Mission failed to provide any kind of constitutional solution to India's problems.
• The Indian National Congress was not pleased with the British assumption of unconditional support from India during World War II.
• Among the Indian masses, anti-British sentiments and demands for full independence had grown in popularity.
• The groundwork for the movement had already been laid by two decades of mass movement, which had taken on a much more radical tone under the leadership of various associated and affiliated bodies of the Congress, such as the All India Kisan Sabha, Forward Bloc, and others.
• Militant outbursts were occurring across the country, which were channelled through the Quit India Movement.
• As a result of World War II, the economy was also in shambles. Resentment of the British government grew as a result of wartime difficulties such as high prices for essential commodities.
DEMANDS
• The demand was to end British rule in India with immediate effect in order to enlist the help of Indians in the fight against fascism during World War II.
• Following the British withdrawal, there was a demand for the formation of a provisional government.
ABOUT
In his speech at the Gowalia Tank Maidan following the failure of the Cripps Mission, Gandhiji declared, "Do or Die."
The provisions of the movement were stated in the Quit India resolution as follows:
• An end to British rule in India right away.
• Proclamation of a free India's commitment to defend itself against all forms of imperialism and fascism.
• Formation of a provisional government of India after British withdrawal.
• Endorsing a movement of civil disobedience against British rule.
Gandhi's instructions to various groups of people were as follows:
• Government employees: instead of resigning, pledge your allegiance to the INC.
• Soldiers: stay with the army but don't shoot at your fellow countrymen.
• Peasants: if the landlords/Zamindars are anti-government, pay the agreed-upon rent; if they are pro-government, do not pay the rent.
• Students: if they are confident enough, they can leave their studies.
• Princes: back the people and recognise their sovereignty.
• People of princely states: only support the ruler if he is anti-government; declare themselves Indian citizens.
PHASES
There were three stages to the movement:
THE FIRST STAGE
• The movement's first half was peaceful, with demonstrations and processions. The peaceful demonstration continued until Mahatma Gandhi was released.
• On August 8, Gandhiji delivered his famous "Do or Die" speech to the people of Mumbai's Gowalia Tank Maidan.
• Gandhi and all other senior Congress leaders were imprisoned by August 9.
• He was first imprisoned at the Aga Khan Palace in Pune, then at the Yerawada jail.
• Kasturba Gandhi died at the Aga Khan Palace during this period.
• While Gandhi issued the call to Quit India, Yusuf Meherally, a socialist and trade unionist who also served as Mayor of Mumbai, coined the slogan (Do or Die).
• It was Meherally who coined the slogan "Simon Go Back" a few years ago, in 1928.
• The first phase of the urban revolt was characterised by strikes, boycotts, and picketing, all of which were quickly put down.
• Strikes and demonstrations took place across the country, and workers showed their support by refusing to work in factories.
SECOND PHASE
• The movement's second half was violent, with raids and arson attacks on post offices, government buildings, and railway stations. Lord Linlithgow pursued a violent policy.
• The focus shifted to the countryside in the second phase, which saw a major peasant rebellion marked by the destruction of communication systems such as railway tracks and stations, telegraph wires and poles, as well as attacks on government buildings and other visible symbols of colonial authority.
LAST STAGE
• In the final phase, national governments or parallel governments were formed in isolated pockets (Ballia, Tamluk, Satara etc.)
• Unpremeditated Violence: During the movement, there was some unpremeditated violence.
• Despite the fact that most demonstrations had been suppressed by 1944, Gandhi continued his resistance and went on a 21-day fast after his release.
• By the end of WWII, Britain's position in the world had shifted dramatically, and the call for independence could no longer be dismissed.
• Future Leaders: Leaders such as Ram Manohar Lohia, J.P. Narayan, ArunaAsaf Ali, Biju Patnaik, SuchetaKriplani, and others were involved in underground activities and later rose to prominence.
• Women's Involvement: Women took an active role in the movement. Usha Mehta, a female leader, assisted in the establishment of an underground radio station, which aided in the movement's awareness.
• During the Quit India Movement, ArunaAsafAli, also known as the "Grand Old Lady of the Independence Movement," is credited with hoisting the Indian flag at the Gowalia Tank Maidan in Mumbai.
SUPPORT• The movement was opposed by the Muslim League, the Communist Party of India, and the Hindu Mahasabha. The movement was also opposed by the Indian bureaucracy.
• The League opposed the British leaving India without first partitioning the country.
• Because the British were allied with the Soviet Union, the Communist Party backed them.
• The Hindu Mahasabha openly opposed the call for a Quit India Movement and officially boycotted it, fearing that it would cause internal unrest and jeopardise internal security during the war.
• Meanwhile, from outside the country, Subhas Chandra Bose organised the Indian National Army and the Azad Hind government.
• C Rajagopalachari resigned from the INC because he did not support complete independence.
OUTCOMES
• The British brutally suppressed the Quit India movement, shooting people, lathi-charging them, torching villages, and imposing massive fines.
• Over 100,000 people were arrested, and the government used violence to quell the uprising.
• The INC was declared an illegal organisation by the British.
• As a result of the leadership vacuum, new leaders emerged, such as ArunaAsaf Ali.
• While the Quit India campaign was crushed in 1944, with the British refusing to grant immediate independence, claiming that it could only happen after the war, they came to the important realisation that, in the long run, India was ungovernable due to the costs of World War II.
• It shifted the nature of political talks with the British, paving the way for India's independence.
SIGNIFICANCE
• Soon after, Gandhi and nearly the entire top leadership of the Congress were arrested, ushering in a truly people-led movement in our fight for independence.
• After being violently dispersed by the British, it sent a clear message to the Indian masses that the British would have to leave India and that no other solution would be acceptable.