Quit India Movement

Quit India Movement

Subject : History

Section: Modern History

Context:  Anniversary of Quit India Movement

In July 1942, the Congress Working Committee met at Wardha and resolved that it would authorise Gandhi to take charge of the non-violent mass movement. The resolution generally referred to as the ‘Quit India’ resolution.

Proposed by Jawaharlal Nehru and seconded by Sardar Patel, it was to be approved by the All India Congress Committee meeting in Bombay in August.

The Quit India Resolution was ratified at the Congress meeting at Gowalia Tank, Bombay, on August 8, 1942.

The meeting also resolved to

1. demand an immediate end to British rule in India.
2. declare commitment of free India to defend itself
3. against all types of Fascism and imperiali
4. form a provisional Government of India after British withdrawal.
5. sanction a civil disobedience movement against British rule.

The Quit India resolution was passed on August 8, 1942.

ArunaAsaf Ali hoisted the tricolour on the Gowalia Tank ground and on August 9 night, the senior leaders of the Congress were arrested.

Many nationalists went underground and took to subversive activities. The participants in these activities were the Socialists, Forward Bloc members, Gandhi ashramites, revolutionary nationalists and local organisations in Bombay, Poona, Satara, Baroda and other parts of Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra, United Provinces, Bihar and Delhi.

The main personalities taking up underground activity were RammanoharLohia, Jayaprakash Narayan, ArunaAsaf Ali, Usha Mehta, BijuPatnaik, ChhotubhaiPuranik, AchyutPatwardhan, SuchetaKripalani and R.P. Goenka. Usha Mehta started an underground radio in Bombay.

This phase of underground activity was meant to keep up popular morale by continuing to provide a line of command and guidance to distribute arms and ammunition.