GS Paper 1
Syllabus: Freedom struggle
Source: PIB
Context: On the 81st Anniversary of the historic ‘Quit India Movement’, the Vice-President, PM and Chairman of Rajya Sabha, paid homage to freedom fighters and highlighted the movement’s enduring relevance.
About Quit India Movement (also known as the August Movement)
It was a movement launched at the Bombay session of the All India Congress Committee by Mohandas Gandhi on 8th August 1942, during World War II, demanding an end to British rule in India.
Reasons that led to the Quit India movement:
- The Failure of the Cripps Mission
- Wartime miseries: There was popular discontent because of rising prices and shortage of rice, salt, etc.,
- Weakening Empire: News of reverses suffered by the British in Southeast Asia and an imminent British collapse. It also shattered the notion of White prestige
QIM united people against British Rule:
- People’s movement: By August 9, Gandhi and all other senior Congress leaders had been jailed. With no one to give directions, people took the movement into their own hands.
- Public rampage: Many felt Gandhi’s mantra of Do or Die represented the militant mood of Gandhi. The general public attacked symbols of authority and hoisted national flags forcibly on public buildings. Satyagrahis offered themselves up to arrest, bridges were blown up, railway tracks were removed, and telegraph lines were cut.
- Parallel governments: Parallel governments were established in many places:
- Ballia (for a week)—under Chittu Pandey.
- Tamluk —Jatiya Sarkar undertook cyclone relief work, sanctioned grants to schools, supplied paddy from the rich to the poor, organised Vidyut Vahinis, etc.
- Satara (mid-1943 to 1945)—named “Prati Sarkar”, was organised under leaders like Y.B. Chavan, Nana Patil, etc. Village libraries and Nyayadan Mandals were organised, prohibition campaigns were carried on, and ‘Gandhi marriages’ were organised.
- Active help by all sections: was provided. Extended Mass Participation:
- By businessmen through donations, shelter, and material help, students (acting as couriers),
- Youth, especially the students of schools and colleges, remained at the forefront.
- Women, especially school and college girls, actively participated and included Aruna Asaf Ali, Sucheta Kripalani, and Usha Mehta.
- Workers went on strikes and faced repression.
- Peasants of all strata were at the heart of the movement. Even some zamindars participated. These peasants concentrated their offensive on symbols of authority, and there was a complete absence of anti-zamindar violence.
- Simple villagers- by refusing information from the authority.
- Muslims helped by giving shelter to underground activists. There were no communal clashes during the movement.
- Loyalty to the government suffered considerable erosion: This also showed how deep nationalism had reached.
- Government officials including police participated, passed on secret information to the activists, especially those belonging to lower levels of police and administration, resulting in an erosion of government loyalty.
- Pilots and train drivers by delivering bombs and other materials.
Although QIM was violently suppressed by the British, it had mobilised the masses with Unparalleled heroism and militancy, which was not seen during the Non-cooperation Movement (1920) and Civil Disobedience Movement (1930). QIM changed the character of the Indian freedom struggle and placed the demand for independence on the immediate agenda of the national movement.
Quit India Movement’s Enduring Relevance Today:
| Aspect | Enduring Relevance Today |
| Unity and Togetherness | Demonstrates the power of collective efforts for a cause |
| Determination and Dedication | Inspires perseverance and commitment to challenges |
| Upholding Sovereignty and Integrity | Reinforces the importance of safeguarding national identity |
| Striving for Independence | Encourages pursuit of self-reliance and autonomy |
| Overcoming Challenges and Adversity | Provides lessons in resilience and overcoming obstacles |
| Social and Political Activism | Inspires citizen participation for societal betterment |
| Leadership and Courage | Highlights the impact of bold leadership and courage |
| Promoting National Pride | Instils a sense of patriotism and pride in the nation |
Conclusion
As Ram Manohar Lohia wrote on the 25th anniversary of the Quit India Movement “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…”
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The Quit India Movement has rightly been described as the most massive anti-imperialist struggle on the eve of Partition and Independence. Explain. (10M)
