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Unit 10: National Movements and Indian Independence

10.3 Quit India Movement Notes

‘Quit India,’ ‘Bharat Choro’. This simple but powerful slogan launched the legendary struggle
which also became famous by the name of the ‘August Revolution.’ In this struggle, the common
people of the country demonstrated an unparalleled heroism and militancy. Moreover, the
repression that they faced was the most brutal that had ever been used against the national
movement. The circumstances in which the resistance was offered were also the most adverse
faced by the national movement until then — using the justification of the war effort, the
Government had armed itself with draconian measures, and suppressed even basic civil liberties.
Virtually any political activity, however peaceful and ‘legal,’ was at this time an illegal and
revolutionary activity.
Why had it become necessary to launch a movement in these difficult conditions, when the
possibility of brutal repression was a certainty?
For one, the failure of the Cripps Mission in April 1942 made it clear that Britain was unwilling to
offer an honourable settlement and a real constitutional advance during the War, and that she was
determined to continue India’s unwilling partnership in the War effort. The empty gesture of the
‘Cripps offer’ convinced even those Congressmen like Nehru and Gandhiji, who did not want to
do anything to hamper the anti-fascist War effort (and who had played a major role in keeping in
check those who had been spoiling for a fight since 1939), that any further silence would be
tantamount to accepting the right of the British Government to decide India’s fate without any
reference to the wishes of her people. Gandhiji had been as clear as Nehru that he did not want to
hamper the anti-fascist struggle, especially that of the Russian and Chinese people. But by the
spring of 1942 he was becoming increasingly convinced of the inevitability of a struggle. A fortnight
after Cripps’ departure, Gandhiji drafted a resolution for the Congress Working Committee calling
for Britain’s withdrawal and the adoption of non-violent non-cooperation against any Japanese
invasion. Congress edged towards Quit India while Britain moved towards arming herself with
special powers to meet the threat. Nehru remained opposed to the idea of a struggle right till
August 1942 and gave way only at the very end.
Apart from British obduracy, there were other factors that made a struggle both inevitable and
necessary. Popular discontent, a product of rising prices and war-time shortages, was gradually
mounting. High-handed government actions such as the commandeering of boats in Bengal and
Orissa to prevent their being used by the Japanese had led to considerable anger among the
people.
The popular willingness to give expression to this discontent was enhanced by the growing feeling
of an imminent British collapse. The news of Allied reverses and British withdrawals from South-
East Asia and Burma and the trains bringing wounded soldiers from the Assam-Burma border
confirmed this feeling.
Combined with this was the impact of the manner of the British evacuation from Malaya and
Burma. It was common knowledge that the British had evacuated the white residents and generally
left the subject people to their fate. Letters from Indians in South-East Asia to their relatives in
India were full of graphic accounts of British betrayal and their being left at the mercy of the
dreaded Japanese. Was it not only to be expected that they would repeat the performance in India,
in the event of a Japanese occupation? In fact, one major reason for the leadership of the national
movement thinking it necessary to launch a struggle was their feeling that the people were becoming
demoralized and, that in the event of a Japanese occupation, might not resist at all. In order to
build up their capacity to resist Japanese aggression, it was necessary to draw them out of this
demoralized state of mind and convince them of their own power. Gandhiji, as always, was
particularly clear on this aspect.
The popular faith in the stability of British rule had reached such a low that there was a run on the
banks and people withdrew deposits from post-office savings accounts and started hoarding gold,
silver and coins. This was particularly marked in East U.P. and Bihar, but it also took place in
Madras Presidency.

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