Vardaan Learning Institute
Chapter 8: The Cripps Mission and the Quit India Movement (1942)
Chapter Overview
During the peak of the Second World War in 1942, the British sent the Cripps Mission to secure Indian cooperation. Following its failure, Mahatma Gandhi launched the historic Quit India Movement in August 1942 with the battle cry "Do or Die", giving a final ultimatum to British imperial rule.
1. The Cripps Mission (March 1942)
Circumstances Leading to the Mission
Wartime Pressure
1. Advance of Japanese Forces in South-East Asia
By early 1942, Japanese armies swept through South-East Asia, conquering Singapore, Malaya, and Rangoon (Burma). Japan stood at India's doorstep (Eastern border). The British desperately needed Indian manpower and material support to defend India.
2. Allied Pressure on Britain
US President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Chinese President Chiang Kai-shek exerted heavy pressure on British Prime Minister Winston Churchill to grant self-government to India to secure full Indian cooperation in WWII.
Proposals of Sir Stafford Cripps
Cripps Offers
Sir Stafford Cripps (a member of the British War Cabinet) arrived in New Delhi in March 1942 with the following draft proposals:
- Dominion Status: India would be granted Dominion Status after the end of World War II, with freedom to remain in or leave the British Commonwealth.
- Constituent Assembly: A Constitution-making body would be set up after the war, consisting of elected members from provincial assemblies and nominees of Princely State rulers.
- Non-Accession Clause (Option to Secede): Any province that did not wish to accept the new Constitution had the right to secede, form a separate union, and frame its own constitution.
- Interim Defense: During the war, defense of India would remain under British control.
Reasons for Rejection of the Cripps Proposals
- Congress Rejection INC demanded immediate transfer of power and full independence (not future Dominion Status). The non-accession clause threatened India's unity by opening doors for Partition. Gandhi famously called it a "post-dated cheque on a failing bank."
- Muslim League Rejection League rejected it because it did not explicitly recognize the demand for a separate sovereign state of Pakistan.
- Sikhs & Hindu Mahasabha Opposed the non-accession clause as it threatened the division of Punjab and fragmentation of India.
2. The Quit India Movement (August 1942)
Circumstances Leading to the Movement
- Failure of Cripps Mission created deep frustration and convinced Indians that Britain would never grant freedom voluntarily.
- Imminent danger of Japanese invasion of India; Gandhi felt British presence was an invitation for Japan to attack India.
- Severe war-induced economic hardship, price rise, and food shortages.
The Quit India Resolution (8 August 1942)
Resolution & Slogan
The All India Congress Committee (AICC) met at Gowalia Tank Maidan, Bombay, and passed the historic Quit India Resolution on 8 August 1942.
- Demanded immediate withdrawal of British power from India.
- Sanctioned a non-violent mass struggle under Gandhi's leadership.
- Mahatma Gandhi gave the famous mantra to the nation: "DO OR DIE" (Karo ya Maro) — "We shall either free India or die in the attempt."
Government Suppression & Operation Zero Hour
Operation Zero Hour
In the early morning of 9 August 1942, the British government struck swiftly under Operation Zero Hour. All top Congress leaders — Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Patel, Maulana Azad — were arrested and jailed. The INC was declared an illegal organization.
Spontaneous Mass Movement and Underground Resistance
Mass Upsurge
Left leaderless, the movement turned into a spontaneous mass revolution across India:
- Public Protests: Strikes, hartals, public demonstrations, breaking of telegraph lines, damaging railway tracks, and attacking police stations.
- Underground Leaders: Young leaders went underground to direct the struggle: Jayaprakash Narayan, Ram Manohar Lohia, Aruna Asaf Ali (who boldly hoisted the Tricolour at Gowalia Tank on 9 August), and Usha Mehta (who operated the secret Congress Radio).
- Parallel Governments (Prati Sarkar): Established in several regions:
- Ballia (UP): Under Chittu Pandey.
- Tamluk (Midnapore, Bengal): Jatiya Sarkar.
- Satara (Maharashtra): Nana Patil's Prati Sarkar (lasted longest until 1945).
Significance and Impact of the Quit India Movement
- Demonstrated the ultimate willingness of the Indian masses to undergo supreme sacrifice for complete independence.
- Proved to the British government that their days in India were numbered and governance without consent was impossible.
- Shifted the freedom struggle from negotiation to an undeniable ultimatum for British withdrawal.
