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- 1939: World War II & Congress Ministries Resignation<\/strong>\n
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- Britain declared India a belligerent in WWII without consulting Indian leaders or the provincial legislatures – seen as a betrayal. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
- In October\u2013November 1939, the Congress ministries in seven provinces resigned in protest. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- March 1942: Cripps Mission Offers & Rejections<\/strong>\n
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- The British government sent Sir Stafford Cripps with a proposal: support Britain\u2019s war effort in exchange for \u201cDominion Status\u201d post-war. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
- But major political groups – including the Indian National Congress and the Muslim League, rejected the offer. They wanted immediate real power, not vague promises. Gandhi famously called it a \u201cpost-dated cheque on a failing bank.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
![\"quit](\"https:\/\/www.cheggindia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Quit-India-movement-1.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nCauses of Quit India Movement<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Understanding the causes of quit india movement is crucial to understanding its explosive nature. The launch was driven by a complex interplay of factors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1. The Attitude of the British Government:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The primary cause was the British government’s consistent refusal to acknowledge India’s rightful demand for self-rule. The failure of the Cripps Mission was the final straw, proving that British promises were hollow. The war was used to justify the suppression of civil liberties and the postponement of political progress, which angered Indians across the spectrum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2. Growing Nationalism:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
By the early 1940s, Indian nationalism had reached a mature and assertive phase. The experiences of the Non-Cooperation Movement and the Civil Disobedience Movement had politically awakened millions. There was a growing impatience, particularly among the youth and radical elements within the Congress, who favored a more aggressive approach against the British. The belief that the British were weak and vulnerable due to the war provided a strategic opportunity to strike.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
3. Socio-Economic Factors:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
World War II had a devastating impact on the Indian economy. It led to massive inflation, acute food shortages, and famine, most tragically witnessed in the Bengal Famine of 1943, which killed millions. Resources were diverted to the war effort, leading to immense hardship for the common people. This economic distress created a fertile ground for a mass uprising against colonial authorities, who were blamed for the misery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
4. The Defeat of the British in World War II:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The early successes of the Axis powers, especially Japan, severely damaged the myth of British invincibility. The fall of Singapore and the British retreat from Burma demonstrated their vulnerability. The fear of a Japanese invasion of India also created panic. For Indian leaders, this presented a dual motive: to pressure the British at their weakest moment and to assert that Indians would organize their own defense against Japan, but only as a free people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Launch of the Quit India Movement Day<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The All-India Congress Committee met in Bombay (now Mumbai) on August 8, 1942. Here, the Quit India Resolution was passed, sanctioning a mass struggle on the widest possible scale. Gandhi outlined the Do or Die slogan doctrine in his seminal speech at the Gowalia Tank Maidan (later August Kranti Maidan).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He said, “I therefore want freedom immediately, this very night, before dawn, if it can be had\u2026 We shall either free India or die in the attempt; we shall not live to see the perpetuation of our slavery.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
The plan was for a non-violent mass struggle, but Gandhi made it clear that this would be an open rebellion without an interim government guiding it. He gave clear instructions to various sections of society:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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- Government servants:<\/strong> Don’t resign, but declare allegiance to the Congress.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Soldiers:<\/strong> Don’t leave the arm,y but refuse to fire on Indians.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Students:<\/strong> Leave studies if confident.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Peasants: <\/b>Pay rent only if landlords are anti-government; otherwise, don’t.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Princes:<\/strong> Accept the sovereignty of your people.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
However, the British were prepared. In the early hours of August 9, before the movement could be formally launched, they struck in a pre-emptive move called\u00a0‘Operation Zero Hour’<\/strong>. Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Abul Kalam Azad, and all other top Congress leaders were arrested and imprisoned without trial. The Congress was declared an illegal organization, and its offices and funds were seized. This was intended to create a leadership vacuum and crush the movement in its infancy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Timeline of the Quit India Movement<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
- Soldiers:<\/strong> Don’t leave the arm,y but refuse to fire on Indians.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Government servants:<\/strong> Don’t resign, but declare allegiance to the Congress.<\/li>\n\n\n\n