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New Delhi, August 8: The nation is celebrating 75 years of Quit India movement on Tuesday which delivered a body blow to the British rule over India. The Bharat Chhodo Andolan or the August Kranti of 1942 was virtually a swan-song of British rule in India in the history of Independence Struggle. It was a civil disobedience movement launched at the Bombay session of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) by Mahatma Gandhi on August 8, 1942, during World War II, demanding an end to British rule in India.
In May 1942, Mahatma Gandhi called on Britain to “Leave India to God. If this is too much then leave her to anarchy”. In July 1942, the Congress Working Committee met at Wardha and a resolution was passed which was termed The Wardha Resolution. It is also known as Quit India Resolution which demanded, “The British Rule in India must end immediately.” And it declared that free India “will assure the success by throwing his great resources in the struggle for freedom and against the aggression of Nazism, Facism and perialism”. The resolution further said that the immediate ending of the British rule in India is an urgent necessity both for the sake of India and for the success of the cause of United Nations.
The resolution was ratified in the AICC with minor amendments and a non-violent mass struggle under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi was sanctioned. The session began on the August 7 and concluded post midnight of August 8, 1942 at Gowalia Tank Maidan, Bombay. In a speech entitled, “Do or Die (Karo ya Mro),” given on by Mahatma Gandhi, he urged the masses to act as an independent nation and not to follow the orders of the British. He added, “You may take it from me that I am not going to strike a bargain with the Viceroy for ministries and the like. I am not going to be satisfied with anything short of complete freedom.”
He told the people, “There is a mantra, short one, that I give you. You imprint it on your heart and let every breath of yours give an expression to it. The mantra is “do or die”. Indians were to wage one last struggle to achieve independence, or die in that attempt. We shall either free India or die in the attempt: we shall not live to see the perpetuation of our slavery.”
Mahatma Gandhi was arrested the same night and almost the entire Congress leadership was put into confinement less than 24 hours after the former’s speech. As the dawn broke out on August 9, all the prominent Congress leaders were arrested and there was no one to lead the movement. Mahatma Gandhi was taken to the Aga Khan Palace in Pune and the Congress Working Committee members were sent to Ahmednagar Fort. The Congress Party was declared an unlawful association and its offices were raided all over India and funds were frozen.
Due to the arrest of major leaders, a young and relatively-unknown Aruna Asaf Ali presided over the AICC session on August 9, 1942. Despite the police warning and government issuing an order banning public processions, meetings and assemblies, large crowd had gathered at Gowalia Tank Maidan and Aruna Asaf Ali hoisted the Indian flag.
The movement assumed significance as it placed the demand for independence on the immediate agenda of the national movement.
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