| Title |
QUIT INDIA MOVEMENT
DAY (AUGUST KRANTI DAY) |
|
Date-wise Events |
August 08, 1942 |
|
Objective |
Independence of
India from British Rule |
|
Description |
- One of the most important phases of the
Indian Independence Struggle.
- It was a civil disobedience movement launched in India
in August 1942 in response to Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi's
call for 'Satyagraha' (independence).
- The Congress Working Committee meeting at Wardha
(14 July 1942) passed a resolution demanding complete
independence from the British government.
- The draft proposed massive civil disobedience if the
British did not accede to the demands.
- Many Muslim leaders opposed Quit India Call as they were
more interested in formation of Pakistan.
- Muhammad Ali Jinnah's opposition to the call led to
large numbers of Muslims cooperating with the British, and
enlisting in the army.
- On this day, the All-India Congress Committee proclaimed
a mass protest demanding what Gandhi called "an orderly
British withdrawal" from India. M.K. Gandhi gave a Do or Die
call on this day at the Gowalia Tank Maidan in Mumbai on
year 1942.
- About 60,000 people were arrested and imprisoned by the
British authorities within hours of the Quit India call.
- Despite Americans’ pressure on British authorities to
give in to Indians’ demands, the movement was virtually
crushed in the wake of the ongoing world war – II.
- But the British arrested tens of thousands of leaders,
keeping them imprisoned until 1945, and suppressed civil
rights, freedom of speech and freedom of the press.
- Congress opponents like the Communists sought to gain
political mileage, criticizing Gandhi and the Congress
Party.
- The positive effect of the movement was that the British
government had ultimately come to realize that India was not
easiy governable in the long run.
- So they started giving due thought to the question as to
how to exit gracefully and peacefully.
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