QUIT INDIA MOVEMENT
– THE TURNING POINT IN INDIA’S FREEDOM

Sixty nine years ago the historic and momentous resolution was passed by the All India Congress Committee in its Bombay Session on the 8th August 1942. This resolution has gone down in history as Quit India Resolution. The congress working committee drafted the resolution on the 14th July 1942 and placed it before the AICC on the 7th August for its acceptance; The resolution demanded the withdrawal of British Power from India forthwith. The Mahatma gave the mantra ‘Do or Die’ to the nation. The resolution read “The committee resolves to sanction for the vindication of India’s in alienable right to freedom and independence, the starting of a mass struggle on non-violent likes on the widest possible scale, so that the country might utilize all the non-violent strength it has gathered during the last twenty two years of peaceful struggle. Such a struggle must be under the leadership of Gandhiji and the committee requests him to take the lead and guide the nation in the steps to be taken”. Thus the call was not given to the members of congress alone. It was a call to all the Indian people. This approach made the struggle different from previous struggles. Mahatma took the lead and declared that the Britishers should leave the country that very day and not the next day.

Though the resolution was passed on 8th August the struggle was not actually begun by Gandhi. He declared that he would place the resolution before the Viceroy and plead with him for his acceptance of the same. He would start the movement only after the rejection by the Viceroy. Lord Lilnithgow was the viceroy then. Gandhi claimed personal friendship with him.

The timing of the struggle was significant. The Second world war was going on. Great Britain was waging war against Axis Powers. Japan was part of it. Japan was conquering the Asian possessions of Great Britain. It would invade India at any moment. The struggle for freedom of India was announced in this background. Many non congress sections of India criticized the starting of the struggle at that moment. But Mahatma made it very clear that the congress supported the allied forces and wanted Nazism, Fascism and Imperialism to be defeated. But, he said, Indians should participate in the war as free men and not as slaves. Free India would be more useful in war than the subject one. He was very clear that the resources of free India can be utilized in war and the British souldiers can remain in Indian soil and prosecute the war. The congress did not demand the English men should leave the country. It merely wanted the English rule to leave. Because Mahatma had no hatred against English men. It was also made dear that the congress did not want Japan to invade India. The Mahatma wanted India to win freedom by its own struggle and sacrifice. He did not want to win freedom with the help of Japan. He was against the Japanese imperialism as much as against Nazism and Fascism. He wanted immediate freedom for India not only in the interest of India but in the interest of mankind as a whole. He wanted all the subject countries to attain freedom and then there will be a federation of free countries. He declared that a free India would be more helpful to the suffering Russia and China in the world war. When some people questioned to whom the English would hand over power, Gandhi said let the English leave their rule and the responsible Indians would form a provisional government. The Provisional government would not be a party government, but it will be a national one representing all sections of India. It was made clear that congress did not want power to the transferred to it. It was also made very clear that the struggle should be absolutely nonviolent. There should be no secrecy in it. All activities should be open and not covert. Since it was expected that the leaders might be arrested it was announced that every Indian should be a leader unto himself and resist the government according to his light of course in a nonviolent way.

But Mahatma was not allowed to follow his own course of action. Though the resolution was passed on 8th August the movement was not formally started by Gandhi. The Mahatma was arrested on the early hours of 9th August and was taken away to an unknown place. All the members of the working committee were arrested. Though the congress was not banned as such the AICC and Pradesh Congress Committees were declared illegal. The leadership was taken away. Then there began the spontaneous uprising of the people. The real mass struggle began. It was not confined to formal members of congress. There were strikes and hartals and mass processions and demonstrations all over the country. Naturally violence broke out. Mahatma was not there to enforce nonviolence. A few leaders who went underground began to organise the agitation. These leaders had their own interpretations of the congress resolution. These leaders openly declared that they were not bothered about non violence and so adopted and advocated violence. The age old technique of sabotage and other conspirational activities were resorted to. Looting and killing also took place. Police men were murdered Government offices were looted and records were burnt. Some areas were declared to be free and local administration was formed by the agitators. For the first time after the advent of Gandhi the whole nation was in turmoil and there was rampant violence. Then the cruel repression of government began. The viceroy and his governors adopted the usual methods of repression, lathi charge, and shooting. The villagers were punished for the activities of the revolutionaries in their area. Punitive fines were imposed on them and their properties were seized. The press was gogged. Malicious propaganda was made against Gandhi and congress. Mahatma was segregated from the people and was detained in Aghakhan Palace. He had no contact with outside world. He could not have news papers. But the government told the world that Gandhi and Congress were responsible for all the violence that took place in the struggle. This Charge could not be refuted in the press. The press was compelled to publish only that news approved by the government. The military was freely used to quell the agitations. People were shot dead. Women were raped. All these atrocities were done with the consent of the Indian members of the viceroy’s council. Ultimately the uprising was crushed. Though it was crushed it attracted the attention of the world. The British were making false propaganda against Gandhi and Congress to save their face among the allied powers. American President and Chiang KAI – Shek wanted the release of Mahatma. The British stuck to their guns. They did not relent.

The Mahatma was pining in detention. He could not refute the false charges of the government. He was put to a great loss. Mahadev Desai died in detention. His death could not be conveyed to his wife. Gandhi Cremated him. Gandhi also lost his wife during detention. The inner call came to Gandhi to undergo the ordeal of 21 days fast. He went on fast from 10th February till 3rd March 1943. Mr Churchill and the viceroy expected and desired Gandhi to die in detention during fast. The government made all preparation to cremate Gandhi. But Mahatma survived the fast. His survival was a miracle to all the doctors who attended on him. At the end of the fast Dr.B.C. Roy left this note

“The miracle has happened. Gandhi lives inspite of the fast, the doctors and their tears, inspite of his age and the defective organs”. Leaving Agha Khan palace he told the doctors “Science cannot take you into the realm of faith. You cannot explain everything about fasting by scientific theories” Yes it was a miracle. Because Gandhi was a Mahatma and a mystique.

Though the uprising was put down by the government the quit India movement was a turning point in the struggle for freedom. It started the last phase of freedom struggle and made the people realize their capacity to fight. For the first time the struggle spread out of congress and became a people’s struggle. The march for freedom continued till it was actually attained in 1947. A new India was born after this movement. People felt freedom. The English began to feel that they could not retain India permanently.

There is a great lesson to be learnt from this movement. That is violence could be put down by government. The violence during quit India movement was put down. But Gandhian nonviolent struggle could not be put down. The Gandhian spiritual struggle continued. It awoke the people to life and freedom. The awakening of the people could not be suppressed. Another lesson is that it was Gandhi’s leadership that kept people nonviolent. If only Mahatma was allowed to follow his course there, certainly would not have been violence, loss of life and properties. The violence of quit India movement demonstrated the ocean of difference between the Gandhian nonviolent struggle and the traditional agitations. If only Gandhi was free he would have stopped violence or would have died in that attempt.

We should realise an important truth. Though all the suffering were undergone and the sacrifices made by congress under the leadership of Gandhi to attain freedom it is the people of India who enjoy the freedom including these who vilified Gandhi and ridiculed Congress. Mahatma declared even then in 1942 the government would not be a congress party government but really a national government.

It is now the time for us to remember and salute all these who suffered selflessly for our good.

(Broadcasted on 06.08.2011 at 9.16 PM by AIR Thiruchi Station)