Vardaan Learning Institute
Chapter 8: The Cripps Mission and Quit India Movement
3. The Quit India Movement (1942)
Causes of the Quit India Movement
- Failure of the Cripps Mission (1942): During WWII, Sir Stafford Cripps was sent to India to secure Indian cooperation in the war effort. The mission proposed Dominion Status after the war, but with a clause allowing provinces to opt out of the Indian Union. It did not promise immediate independence. The Congress rejected the proposals. Gandhi called it "a post-dated cheque on a failing bank."
- Japanese Threat: The Japanese army was advancing rapidly towards India's eastern borders. Gandhi believed that India's safety lay in the immediate withdrawal of the British. He felt that the British presence in India was an invitation for the Japanese to invade.
Key Resolution
Quit India Resolution (August 8, 1942):
The All India Congress Committee met in Bombay and passed the famous "Quit India" resolution on August 8, 1942. It demanded an immediate end to British rule in India. Gandhi gave the famous mantra of "Do or Die" (Karo ya Maro) — "We shall either free India or die in the attempt; we shall not live to see the perpetuation of our slavery."
The very next morning (August 9), prominent Congress leaders including Gandhi, Nehru, and Patel were arrested. The movement became leaderless and turned violent in many places, with attacks on railway stations, post offices, and police stations.
Significance of the Quit India Movement
- Demonstrated Mass Support: It was the final and most mass-based movement for independence, showing the deep-rooted desire of the Indian people to be free.
- Paralyzed Administration: In many areas, parallel governments were set up (e.g., in Ballia, Satara, Tamluk), completely paralyzing the British administration temporarily.
- Clear Message to the British: It made it abundantly clear to the British that they could no longer rule India against the wishes of its people. After WWII, the British realized they had to leave India.
