Anniversary of Quit India Movement

Anniversary of Quit India Movement – Its role in Indian Independence Movement 

Quit India Movement is one of the largest movements in Indian history against British rule. This movement has helped a lot in achieving independence from the long standing British colonial rule in India.

Mahatma Gandhi launched the Civil Disobedience Movement on 8 August 1942 at the Bombay session of the All-India Congress Committee to demand the immediate end of British rule, this movement is also known as the August Movement or August Revolution. This movement lasted for a long time due to the failure of the Cripps Mission in March 1942.

Cripps Mission

The British government unilaterally threw India into World War II without any consultation with the Indian people. With the aim of securing India's full support in the Second World War through its efforts and to defuse the political deadlock, the British government sent Sir Stafford Cripps, a minister in Prime Minister Winston Churchill's cabinet, to India. The main objective of the British government behind this was to agree to the promise of its government to fully cooperate with India in the Second World War, a sovereignty for India and also to organize elections in India after this war. Cripps had his own views in this proposal, Indians as well as the British Government found this proposal not only simple but too radical to accept.

The mission ultimately failed, with India's major political parties refusing to accept the offer, with Mahatma Gandhi comparing the offer of sovereignty for India after the war to a post-dated check from a failing bank. On 14 July 1942, the Congress Executive passed a resolution declaring the need to immediately end British rule in India.

Quit India Movement, 1942

On 8 August 1942, Mahatma Gandhi gave a do or die call in his Quit India speech at Gowalia Tank Ground in Mumbai. The historic Quit India Movement was announced and implemented in the backdrop of World War II.

In his Quit India speech, Mahatma Gandhi reiterated that the movement was essentially a passive resistance, as the movement was directed solely towards the independence of India and not a struggle to obtain power or a military coup to establish a dictatorship. Was. Whenever the power of independence is achieved, it will be entirely for Indians.

India finally gained independence from this rebellion. There was no room for doubt in the slogan of Quit India given by Mahatma Gandhi. It was clear from this slogan that the British were no longer welcome in India, and they had to leave India. The slogan “Do or Die” given by Gandhi filled a new enthusiasm among Indians to achieve independence.

In this movement, all the leaders of the Congress along with Gandhiji were arrested by the British government, but this arrest could not calm the resistance of the Indians and despite the lack of direct leadership, there was a lack of leadership by adult men. Later, large-scale protests were held across the country under the leadership of women and students. Not all demonstrations were peaceful, ultimately the British banned the Congress. Although this only worked towards creating sympathy among the people, the workers did not go to work and went on strike non-collectively. The movement ended with several civilians killed in the violence and several people shot by the police and army.

It is true that the Quit India Movement had failed in 1944. However, this proved to be the last struggle for subjugation. This helped the Congress to take a united lead and put the demand for independence on the immediate agenda of the national movement. After the Quit India Movement, there was no possibility of a deal or compromise on India's independence and there was no question of any kind of negotiation with the British Government. Now there was only one demand and that was the transfer of power. Only 3 years after this movement, in 1947, the British surrendered their arms to India and left the country.

Thus 75 years

Now 75 years have passed since the Quit India call given by Mahatma Gandhi in 1942. The Bharatiya Janata Party along with the Congress respected this movement which marked the beginning of the end of the British Raj in India. On the 75th anniversary of Quit India Movement, BJP Yuva Morcha (BJP youth wing) is planning to launch “Bharat Jodo Campaign”.

Mahatma Gandhi's words are still defended today and are prevalent in the current political world. In these words, it was said that “Whatever power will come after independence, it will be related to the people of India and only the people of India will decide to whom they have to hand over this country.”