The Quit India Movement

2020-04-27 15:21:49

Reasons for Launching the Struggle

Failure of Cripps mission.
Rising prices and war time shortages.
High handed govt action viz schorched earth policy to stop Japanese invasion.
News of allied reverses and the return of wounded soldiers caused discontent.
To build up their capacity for a impeding Japanese occupation.
Economic social life deteriorated.

Max Harcourt : main problem was scarcity crisis shortfall of rice
Rice crisis : seasonal condition, stoppage supply of Burmese rice, stringent procurement policy of B
Excess profit tax, forcible collection of war funds.
coercive sale of war bonds, stories of brutality by USA, AUS soldiers, refugees etc.
collapse of B colonial rule in SE asia.

MG in militant mood in 1942 as Jap invasion became threat, refused to believe Japs to be IN liberators, IN in the hands of Indians best guarantee against fascist aggression.
Rumors that by middle of 1942 B rule would collapse.

After departure of Cripps mission a resolution was passed by Congress at Wardha in Jul 1942 to start a non-violent NCM.
was referred to as Quit India movement.
ratified at the Congress meeting at Gowalia Tank, Bombay on Aug 8 1942.
Gandhi called for ==Do or Die== or final battle.
Top leaders were arrested and all congress organisation declared illegal under the Criminal Law amendment Act of 1908 and Defence of India rules.
Aruna Asaf Ali the next day presided over the committee session on Aug 9 and hoisted the flag.

Underground activities became popular during Quit India movement.
Main personalities were Rammanohar Lohia, Jayaprakash Narayan, Aruna Asaf Ali, Usha Mehta, Biju Patnaik, Sucheta Kriplani, RP Goenka.
Usha Mehta started and underground radio in Bombay.
Communists did not join the QIM initially but did after German invasion of USSR.
Muslim League and Hindu Mahasabha opposed the movement.
Gandhiji undertook a fast of 21 days when asked to condemn the ongoing violence in Feb 1943.
raised the morale and heightened the anti-British feelings.
The erosion of loyalty to the British govt was the most striking aspect of QIM
Another important significance of the movement was that it put the demand for independence on the immediate agenda of the national movement
Arrest of leader -> August Revolution

Linlithgow : most violent since 1857, spontaneous bcoz upper Echelon was behind bars - no preconceived plant to produce such instantaneous and uniform result
Not just an impulsive resp - masses already conducted radical action under AITUC, CSP, AIKS, INC who had already prepared ground
AICC issued instructions to peasants, MG ambivalent on non-violence said people can decide what they have to do in this struggle

Most powerful in BiharPatna, Jamshedpur
Lower caste participation form parallel gov in Barh by Gops and Dusadhs

Gyanendra Pandey - Message of destruction and Gandhian principle of non-violence co-existed uneasily
==Bengal was less instantaneous but more prolonged==, Santhals + dalit groups participated
Women Volunteer group Bhagini Sena, Biplabi.
Orissa : Kisan Sangha and Praja Mandals, Cuttack, RAF strafing in Talcher. ^c05a2d
==Maha : esp Satara - Satara prati Sarkar, org structure w/ volunteer corps or Seba Dal, Tufan Dals, Nana Patil central, Nyaydan mandals==.
Many Supporters of BR Ambedkar did not join, evidence of Dalit participation there.
Hindu Mahasabha called it sterile, unmanly and injurious to Hindu cause.
INC turned towards constitutionalism after QIM. > DA Low : by way of fighting Raj congress itself was becoming the Raj.

Ballia under Chittu Pandey released many congress leaders
Tamluk in Midnapore b/w Dec 1942 and Sep 1944. ==Jatiya Sarkar organsied Vidyut Vahinis and undertook cyclone relief.==
Satara from mid 1943-1944 was named Prati Sarkar organised under leaders like Y.B Chavan, Nana Patil.
Village libraries were organised, Nyaydan Mandals and Gandhi Marriages held

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Quit India Movement

“In the summer of 1942 Gandhi was in a strange and uniquely militant mood.” Comment. [2003, 20m]
Do you think that Quit India movement was a Spontaneous Revolution? [2009, 30m]
“To characterize the Quit India Movement as ‘Spontaneous Revolution’ would be partial interpretation, so also would be to look up at it as the culmination of Gandhian Satyagraha movements.” Elucidate. [2015, 20m]