QUIT INDIA MOVEMENT
CIRCUMSTANCES LEADING TO THE QUIT
INDIA MOVEMENT
IMPACT / SIGNIFICANCE OF THE QUIT INDIA
MOVEMENT
CRIPPS MISSION – THE REASONS AND THE
REACTION TO THE MISSION
INTRODUCTION [ EVENTS BEFORE
THE MOVEMENT]
THE SECOND WORLD WAR BROKE OUT IN 1939. THE
POLITICAL LEADERS OF INDIA OFFERED TO HELP BRITAIN IN
ITS WAR EFFORTS ONLY WHEN THE GOVERNMENT FULFILLED
THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS –
* AFTER THE WAR, THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT WOULD FORM
A CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY TO DETERMINE THE FUTURE
POLITICAL STRUCTURE OF INDIA.
* THEY WOULD IMMEDIATELY ESTABLISH SOME FORM OF
RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT AT THE CENTRE.
Reaction to the demand
THE GOVERNMENT DID NOT COME UP WITH ANY
SATISFACTORY RESPONSE.
VICEROY LINLITHGOW ONLY OFFERED TO FORM A
CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE FOR ADVISORY FUNCTIONS.
AS A RESULT, THE CONGRESS DECIDED NOT TO SUPPORT THE
WAR EFFORTS OF BRITAIN.
THE MUSLIM LEAGUE DECIDED ON THE OTHER HAND, TO
SUPPORT BRITIAN IN ITS WAR EFFORTS ON THE CONDITION
THAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT WOULD NOT FINALISE ANY
CONSTITUTIONAL SCHEME WITHOUT ITS APPROVAL.
AUGUST OFFER - 1940
THE SUCCESS OF HITLER IN THE WAR FORCED THE
BRITISH GOVERNMENT TO SEEK SUPPORT OF INDIA
IN ITS WAR EFFORTS.
VICEROY LINLITHGOW, IN AUGUST 1940, CAME UP
WITH A PROPOSAL FOR CONSTITUTIONAL REFORMS
IN INDIA.
THESE PROPOSALS ARE KNOWN AS THE AUGUST
OFFER.
Main provisions of August Offer
THE VICEROY’S EXECUTIVE COUNCIL WOULD BE EXPANDED.
AFTER THE WAR WAS OVER, THE GOVERNMENT WOULD SET
UP A CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY, A REPRESENTATIVE BODY,
WHERE MAINLY INDIANS WOULD DECIDE ON THEIR
CONSTITUTION ACCORDING TO THEIR SOCIAL, ECONOMIC
AND POLITICAL CONCEPTIONS.
ANY CONSTITUTION FOR INDIA WOULD BE ACCEPTED, ONLY
IF IT GUARANTEED TO SAFEGUARD THE INTERESTS OF THE
MINORITIES. THE GOVERNMENT WOULD NOT TRANSFER
POWER TO ANY SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT WHOSE
AUTHORITY IS DIRECTLY DENIED BY LARGE AND POWERFUL
ELEMENTS IN INDIAN NATIONAL LIFE.
Reaction to August Offer
THE CONGRESS REJECTED THE OFFER AS THERE WAS NO
TIME LIMIT STATED WITHIN WHICH THE CONSTITUENT
ASSEMBLY WOULD BE SET UP. THERE WAS ALSO NO
AGREEMENT ON THE THE EXPANSION OF THE EXECUTIVE
COUNCIL.
THE MUSLIM LEAGUE WELCOMED THE AUGUST OFFER
BECAUSE OF ITS ASSURANCE TO GIVE VETO POWER TO THE
MINORITIES. HOWEVER, IT REITERATED ITS POSITION THAT
THE PARTITION OF INDIA WAS THE ONLY SOLUTION.
Evaluation of the August Offer
THOUGH THE AUGUST OFFER FAILED TO
DELIVER ANY CONCRETE SOLUTION, IT DID
RECOGNISE THE RIGHT OF THE INDIANS TO
FRAME THEIR OWN CONSTITUTION.
THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL OF THE VICEROY
WAS EXPANDED GIVING INDIANS THE
MAJORITY.
INDIVIDUAL SATYAGRAHA
GANDHIJI LAUNCED THE INDIVIDUAL SATYAGRAHA, LIMITED
SATYAGRAHA ON INDIVIDUAL BASIS.
ACCORDING TO THIS INDIVIDUAS DEMANDED FREEDOM OF
SPEECH AND DECLARED THAT IT WAS WRONG TO HELP
BRITAIN IN ITS WAR EFFORTS.
MANY SUCH SATYAGRAHIS WERE ARRESTED.
CRIPPS MISSION
JAPAN WAS MAKING SIGNIFICANT GAINS IN SOUTH EAST ASIA, WHICH
BROUGHT IT CLOSER TO THE BORDERS OF INDIA.
THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT WAS HENCE FORCED TO SEEK SUPPORT OF
THE PEOPLE OF INDIA.
THERE WAS ALSO CONSIDERABLE PRESSURE FROM THE ALLIES,
ESPECIALLY THE USA ON BRITAIN TO GRANT CONSTITUTIONAL REFORMS
TO INDIA.
IN MARCH 1942, THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT SENT STAFFORD CRIPPS,
THE LEADER OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS IN ENGLAND, TO INDIA WITH
A SET OF PROPOSALS IN ORDER TO SEEK ITS SUPPORT FOR THE WAR.
THIS WAS NAMED THE CRIPPS MISSION.
Proposal of Cripps Mission
AN INDIAN UNION TO BE SET UP WITH A DOMINION STATUS AND IT WOULD BE FREE TO DECIDE
ITS RELATIONS WITH BRITAIN.
IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE WAR, THE GOVERNMENT WOULD FORM A CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY TO
FRAME A CONSTITUTION.
SOME MEMBERS OF THE CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY WOULD BE ELECTED BY TE PROVINCIAL
ASSEMBLIES THROUGH PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION AND THE OTHER MEMBERS WERE TO
BE NOMINATED BY THE PRINCES OF THE INDIAN STATES.
ANY PROVINCE NOT WILLING TO JOIN THE INDIAN UNION WOULD BE FREE TO FRAME A
SEPARATE CONSTITUTION AND FORM A SEPARATE UNION.
THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT WOULD NEGOTIATE ON THE TRANSFER OF POWER, SAFEGUARDING
RACIAL AND RELIGIOUS MINORITIES.
THE DEFENCE OF INDIA WOULD REMAIN IN BRITISH HANDS EVEN AFTER THE CONSTITUENT
ASSEMBLY WAS FORMED.
Reaction to the Cripps
proposal by the Congress
THE CONGRESS REJECTED THE CRIPPS MISSION PROPOSAL BECAUSE –
IT DEMANDED COMPLETE INDEPENDENCE INSTEAD OF A DOMINION
STATUS
IT OBJECTED TO THE NOMINATION OF THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
INDIAN PRINCELY STATES RATHER THAN THEIR ELECTION.
IT WAS AGAINST THE RIGHT GIVEN TO THE STATES TO SECEDE AS IT
COULD DIVIDE INDIA INTO A NUMBER OF INDEPENDENT STATES.
CRIPPS DID NOT TALK ABOUT IMMEDIATE TRANSFER OF POWER.
THE PROPOSAL SPOKE OF RETAINING THE POWER OVER INDIA’S
DEFENCE.
Reaction of the Muslim
League to the Cripps Mission
THE MUSLIM LEAGUE ALSO CRITICISED THE
CRIPPS MISSION PROPOSAL BECAUSE
THE PROPOSAL DID NOT GRANT THE RIGHT
OF SELF-DETERMINATION TO THE MUSLIMS.
IT DID NOT GIVE THEM THE RIGHT OF
CREATION OF PAKISTAN.
Gandhiji called the
Cripps Mission a
‘post-dated cheque on a
failing bank’.
Reasons for launch of
Quit India Movement
•
FAILURE OF THE CRIPPS MISSION
•
CONGRESS LEADERS REALIZED THAT THE BRITISH
WERE ONLY INTERESTED IN FORCING INDIA TO
SUPPORT ITS WAR EFFORTS. CRIPPS MISSION
OFFERED ONLY A DOMINION STATUS TO INDIA.
Popular discontent
THE ACUTE SHORTAGE OF FOOD IN THE COUNTRY
AND THE RISING PRICES INCREASED THE MISERY OF
PEOPLE. CONGRESS LEADERS FELT THAT THE TIME
HAD COME TO GIVE DIRECTION TO THE GENERAL
DISCONTENTMENT OF THE MASSES.
Collapse of the British empire
THE NEWS OF BRITISH DEFEATS AT THE HANDS
OF THE JAPANESE STRENGTHENED THE
FEELING THAT THE BRITISH EMPIRE WAS SOON
GOING TO COLLAPSE. RUMOURS THAT
BRITAIN WAS EVACUATING ITS SOUTH-EAST
ASIAN TERRITORIES SPREAD RAPIDLY.
Racial character of the British
THE BRITISH EVACUATED THE WHITE
RESIDENTS IN MALAYA AND BURMA AND
LEFT THE LOCAL POPULATION TO THEIR OWN
FATE.
THIS EXPOSED THE RACIAL CHARACTER OF
THE BRITISH.
Worsening communal
problems
THE MUSLIM HAD BEEN DEMANDING FOR A
SEPARATE STATE OF PAKISTAN.
THE GOVERNMENT LENT ITS SUPPORT TO THE
MUSLIM LEAGUE.
THE COMMUNAL SITUATION BECAME TENSE.
Concerns about Japanese
attack
PEOPLE FEARED THAT IN CASE OF A JAPANESE
ATTACK ON INDIA, THE BRITISH WOULD LEAVE THE
INDIANS TO THEIR OWN FATE AND RUN AWAY.
THE LEADERS BELIEVED THAT IT WAS NECESSARY TO
LAUNCH A MOVEMENT IN ORDER TO LIFT THE LOW
SPIRIT OF THE PEOPLE OF INDIA. OTHERWISE THEY
WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO RESIST THE JAPANESE
ATTACK.
Quit India Resolution
THE RESOLUTION CALLED FOR THE IMMEDIATE
END OF THE BRITISH RULE IN INDIA.
GANDHI GAVE THE MANTRA ‘ DO OR DIE’ TO
THE INDIANS AND ACCEPT NOTHING LESS
THAN FREEDOM.
Programme of the movement
GANDHI ASKED THE GOVERNMENT SERVANTS NOT TO
RESIGN BUT OPENLY DECLARE SUPPORT TO THE CONGRESS.
HE ASKED SOLDIERS NOT TO RESIGN FROM THE ARMY , BUT
REFUSE TO OPEN FIRE ON INDIANS.
HE ASKED STUDENTS TO LEAVE STUDIES IF THEY WERE
CONFIDENT THAT THEY WOULD REMAIN FIRM TILL
INDEPENDENCE WAS ACHIEVED.
PEASANTS WERE ASKED TO REFUSE PAYING RENT TO THEIR
LANDLORDS.
THE PRINCELY STATES WERE REQUESTED TO RESPECT THE
SENTIMENTS OF THEIR PEOPLE.
Impact of the movement
IT DEMONSTRATED THAT THE SENSE OF NATIONALISM HAD REACHED
DEEP INTO THE SOCIETY WITH STUDENTS, PEASANTS, WORKERS, WOMEN
BEING ACTIVE PARTICIPANTS OF THE MOVEMENT.
IT BROUGHT NEW CONFIDENCE AMONG THE PEOPLE TO REFUSE
ACCEPTING ANYTHING BUT FREEDOM.
ALL RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES JOINED THE MOVEMENT.
THE BRITISH REALIZED THAT IT WAS NO LONGER POSSIBLE TO RULE INDIA
AGAINST THE WISHES OF THE INDIANS.
AS A RESULT OT THE MOVEMENT, THE LEADERS WERE IN JAIL AND THERE
WAS VERY LITTLE POLITICAL ACTIVITY IN THE COUNTRY TILL THE END OF
THE SECOND WORLD WAR IN 1945.
Significance of the movement
THE BRITISH AUTHORITY COLLAPSED DUE TO THE QUIT INDIA
MOVEMENT.
THE ATTENTION OF THE WORLD WAS DRAWN TO THE
PROBLEMS IN INDIA.
THE PRESSURE OF PUBLIC OPINION MADE THE BRITISH
REALIZE THAT THEY WILL HAVE TO GIVE INDIA
INDEPENDENCE SOONER OR LATER.
IT LED TO THE GROWTH OF COURAGE, CONFIDENCE AND
POLITICAL CONSCIOUSNESS AMONG THE INDIANS.