82nd Anniversary of the QIM | 08 Aug 2024

Source: IE

August Kranti Day (August Revolution Day) is observed on the 8^th August annually in India. In 2024, India celebrates the 82^nd anniversary of the Quit India Movement (QIM).

• It commemorates the historic launch of the QIM in 1942, under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi.

What was QIM?

• About: It was a pivotal moment in India’s struggle for independence from British colonial rule, which called for the immediate withdrawal of British forces from India.
  • It aimed to mobilise Indians in a non-violent civil disobedience campaign against British colonialism.
  • Internationally, it drew sympathetic voices within the British public and pressure from Allied powers during World War II.
• Reasons for Starting QIM:
  • Failure of Cripps Mission (1942): Cripps Mission exposed Britain's unchanged attitude on constitutional advance and made it clear that any more silence would be tantamount to accepting the British right to decide the fate of Indians without consulting them.
    • It offered dominion status instead of complete independence. It provided provinces the right to secede which went against the principle of national unity.
  • Economic Impact of World War II: There was popular discontent because of rising prices and shortage of rice, salt etc. While the higher food prices hit the poor, the rich were hurt by excess profit tax. It got aggravated by gross mismanagement and deliberate profiteering.
  • Hasty British Evacuation from Southeast Asia: Refugees returning from Malaya and Burma after the Japanese invasion reported the collapse of British power in Southeast Asia and how British authorities abandoned Indian refugees.
    • This led to fears that Britain might similarly abandon India if Japan invaded.
  • Feeling of Imminent British Collapse: The news of Allied reverses and British withdrawals from Southeast Asia and Burma made people in India believe that British power was going to collapse soon.
  • Imminent Japanese invasion: The leaders felt it was essential to initiate a struggle because they believed the people were losing morale and might not resist if Japan invaded.
• Quit India Resolution:
  • The Congress Working Committee adopted the 'Quit India' Resolution on 14^th July 1942 at Wardha.
  • The All India Congress Committee (AICC) accepted this resolution with some modifications, on 8^th August 1942 at Gowalia Tank in Bombay and Gandhiji was named the leader of the struggle.
    • The meeting also resolved to:
      • demand an immediate end to British rule in India.
      • declare commitment of free India to defend itself against all types of Fascism and imperialism.
      • form a provisional Government of India after the British withdrawal.
      • sanction a civil disobedience movement against British rule.
    • Gandhi was named the leader of the struggle
• On this occasion, Gandhi delivered his famous "Do or Die" speech, arguing that "We shall either free India or die in the attempt; we shall not live to see the perpetuation of our slavery.”

How did the Government Respond to the Spread of QIM?

• Spread of the Movement:
  • Public on Rampage: The general public attacked symbols of authority. Satyagrahis offered themselves up to arrest, bridges were blown up, railway tracks were removed, and telegraph lines were cut.
  • Underground Activity: The main personalities taking up underground activity were Rammanohar Lohia, Jayaprakash Narayan, Aruna Asaf Ali, Usha Mehta and R.P. Goenka. Usha Mehta started an underground radio in Bombay.
    • Due to the arrest of major leaders, a young and till then relatively unknown Aruna Asaf Ali presided over the AICC session on 9^th August and hoisted the flag, later the Congress party was banned.
  • Parallel Governments: Parallel governments were established in Ballia (Uttar Pradesh), Tamluk (Bengal) and Satara (Maharashtra).
  • Extent of Mass Participation: Youth, women, workers and peasants remained at the forefront.
• British Government Response:
  • In the early hours of 9^th August 1942, all the top leaders of the Congress were arrested and taken to unknown destinations.
    • It produced an instantaneous reaction among the people. There were clashes with authority, strikes, public demonstrations and processions in various parts of the country.
  • The Government responded by gagging the press. The newspaper National Herald and weekly journal Harijan ceased publication for the entire duration of the struggle, others for shorter periods.
  • Agitating crowds were lathi-charged, tear-gassed, and fired upon. The number of those killed is estimated at 10,000.
    • The military took over many cities; police and secret service reigned supreme.
  • Rebellious villages were fined heavily, and in many villages, mass flogging was done.

Was QIM a Spontaneous Outburst, or an Organized Movement?

• Spontaneous Nature of QIM:
• Viceroy Linlithgow described it as "by far the most serious rebellion since 1857".
  • It was violent and totally uncontrolled as the entire upper echelon of the Congress leadership was behind bars even before it began.
  • And therefore, it is also characterised as a "spontaneous revolution", as "no preconceived plan could have produced such instantaneous and uniform results".
• Organised Nature of QIM:
  • Radical Movements: In the past two decades, the radical mass movements led by Congress-affiliated groups like the AITUC (All India Trade Union Congress), CSP (Congress Socialist Party ), AIKS (All India Kisan Sabha), and Forward Block had set the stage for such a conflagration.
  • Twelve Point Programme: Before 9^th August 1942, Congress leaders drafted a twelve-point program that included Gandhian satyagraha methods, industrial strikes, railway and telegraph disruptions, tax refusal, and establishing a parallel government.
  • Past Preparation: In the Civil Disobedience Movement (1930-34), while Gandhi initiated the struggle with the Dandi March and salt law violation, local leaders and people decided whether to stop land revenue payments, defy forest laws, picket liquor shops, or pursue other aspects of the program.
    • These previous experiences of the masses enriched QIM.
  • Mobilisation in Countryside: In East U.P. and Bihar, the areas of the most intense activity in 1942 were precisely the ones in which considerable mobilisation and organisational work had been carried out from 1937 onwards.

What were the Lessons and Significance of the QIM?

• Lessons from QIM:
  • For Indian Masses: To the Indian masses in 1942, Gandhi and the Congress were symbols of liberation, not sources of ideological constraint.
  • For Congress: The suppression of QIM by the government discredited the left-wingers (like followers of Forward Block) within Congress who had been demanding violent action against the government.
    • Now dominated by moderates and right-wing members, Congress strongly opposed the popular militancy, favouring a return to discipline and order, and advocated for a negotiated settlement over confrontation.
  • For the British: They realised it was difficult to manage militant mass movements without wartime emergency powers.
    • After the war, maintaining control by force would be costly, leading to a greater willingness to accept a negotiated and orderly withdrawal.
• Significance of QIM:
  • It placed the demand for independence on the immediate agenda of the national movement. After Quit India there could be no retreat.
  • Constructive work became the main form of Congress activity, with a special emphasis on the reorganisation of the Congress machinery.
  • The Congress leaders were released to participate in the Simla Conference in June 1945. That marked the end of the phase of confrontation that had existed since August 1942.

Conclusion

The Quit India Movement (QIM) marked a crucial turning point in India's struggle for independence. Despite the repression by British authorities, the movement galvanised widespread public support, leading to mass protests and parallel governments. QIM intensified the demand for freedom, ultimately hastening the end of British colonial rule in India.