Quit India Movement 1942 UPSC Notes | Modern History & Freedom Struggle

 The Quit India Movement of 1942 is a landmark event in India’s freedom struggle and an important topic for UPSC General Studies Paper I – Modern History. For UPSC Prelims, it is frequently tested through questions on its causes, leaders, phases, resolutions, and impact. In UPSC Mains, it holds relevance under Modern Indian History (1757–1947), particularly in analysing the role of mass movements, Gandhian ideology, and India’s struggle for independence.

The Quit India Movement was launched in 1942 by Mahatma Gandhi as a major civil disobedience campaign against British rule. This movement made a clear demand for the British to leave India immediately and for the country to gain complete independence.

Key Facts:

• Launched on August 8, 1942, at the All India Congress Committee session in Bombay.
• Also known as the August Movement or August Kranti.
• Led by Mahatma Gandhi with the famous slogan "Do or Die".
• Became the last mass movement against British rule before independence.

On July 14, 1942, the Congress Working Committee met at Wardha and decided to start a mass civil disobedience movement. Later, on August 8, 1942, at Bombay, the Quit India Resolution was passed.

• Gandhi delivered his historic "Do or Die" speech at Gowalia Tank Maidan (now August Kranti Maidan) in Bombay.
• The slogan "Quit India" was coined by Bombay Mayor Yusuf Meherally.
• British authorities immediately arrested all major Congress leaders on August 9, 1942.
• The movement became leaderless but continued spontaneously across the country.

Also read: Top 10 Historical Movements in Modern Indian History for UPSC

The Quit India Movement broke out in 1942 as people, angered by British exploitation and hardships, united with one clear demand: the British must quit India at once. Here are the key causes of the mass movement:

• Failure of Cripps Mission (1942): The British offer of limited dominion status after the war was rejected as inadequate.
• World War II involvement without consent: Britain dragged India into the war without consulting Indian leaders.
• Economic hardships: Wartime inflation, shortages, heavy taxation, and the export of rice led to widespread suffering.
• British military defeats: Retreats from Southeast Asia and Burma exposed British vulnerability.
• Growing nationalism: Two decades of mass movements had prepared the ground for the final battle.
• Anti-British sentiment: Racial discrimination and broken promises had destroyed public confidence.

The movement asked for a full and immediate end to British rule, not slow changes or step-by-step reforms like earlier. The core demands were:

• Immediate end to British rule - No negotiations or gradual transfer of power.
• Complete independence - Not dominion status or limited self-government.
• Formation of provisional government - Indians to govern themselves after British withdrawal.
• British withdrawal from India - All colonial administrators and military personnel to leave.
• Establishment of the free Indian government - Parallel administrations to replace colonial rule.

The Quit India Movement started with planned protests, then grew into mass uprisings, and later continued with secret underground activities. Here are the three important phases: 

First Phase (August-September 1942)

• Urban revolts with strikes, boycotts, and picketing.
• Leaders were arrested immediately.
• Workers supported through factory strikes.

Second Phase (September-December 1942): 

• Focus shifted to rural areas.
• Major peasant rebellions.
• Destruction of railways, telegraph lines, and government buildings.

Third Phase (1943-1944)

• Underground resistance and parallel governments.
• Secret radio broadcasts.
• Guerrilla-style sabotage activities.

Also read: All you need to know about the Shimla agreement.

After the arrest of its leaders, the Quit India Movement spread rapidly and spontaneously, cutting across urban and rural India.

• Urban hartals and strikes paralysed Bombay’s mills and Mumbai-Poona railway services.
• Peasants in Ballia (Uttar Pradesh) formed a parallel government and freed prisoners.
• In Tamluk (Bengal), local leaders set up a rival administration, running schools and courts.
• Railway tracks were torn up between Madras and Chennai to disrupt troop movements.
• Tribal groups in Orissa attacked government outposts and forest officials.
• Students in Lahore and Delhi held demonstrations, boycotting classes and cutting telegraph lines.
• Secret radio broadcasts from underground stations in Nashik kept activists informed.

The Quit India Movement drew contributions from leaders, activists, and ordinary citizens, each playing a distinct role in sustaining the struggle for freedom.

• Mahatma Gandhi: Called for “Do or Die,” inspired mass civil disobedience and fasting.
• Jawaharlal Nehru: Mobilised workers and students, wrote speeches from prison to boost morale.
• Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel: Coordinated underground Congress committees, organised relief for families of arrested activists.
• Jayaprakash Narayan: Led peasant uprisings in Bihar, helped set up a parallel government in Ballia.
• Ram Manohar Lohia: Orchestrated student protests in Uttar Pradesh, printed and distributed underground pamphlets.
• Aruna Asaf Ali: Presided over the AICC session in Bombay, operated secret Congress radio broadcasts.
• Usha Mehta: Ran the Indian National Congress Radio in Nashik, provided news and directives to activists.
• Achyut Patwardhan: Led protests in Bombay, organised factory strikes.
• Satish Samanta: Established parallel administration in Tamluk, Bengal, and maintained law and order.
• Harekrushna Mahtab: Mobilised tribal communities in Orissa for forest satyagraha.
• Students and Youth: Boycotted classes, cut telegraph wires, staged street demonstrations via the All India Students Federation.
• Women Volunteers: Served as couriers, organised relief camps, and led local protests through Women’s Congress Committees.
• Parallel Governments: Ad hoc administrations in areas like Ballia and Tamluk replacing British authority.

The movement was stronger in some places than others. In some areas, British rule almost collapsed, while in other locations, only a few people took part.

The Quit India Movement did not make the British leave right away, but it united Indians and gave new strength to the fight for freedom.

Major Achievements:

• Rise of new leaders - Ram Manohar Lohia, Jayaprakash Narayan, and Aruna Asaf Ali emerged as national figures.
• Mass political awakening - Brought millions of ordinary people into the freedom struggle.
• Women's participation - Broke traditional gender roles and established women as political actors.
• Weakened British authority - Exposed the fragility of colonial rule during wartime.

Key Challenges:

• Immediate goal not achieved - The British did not quit India as demanded.
• Brutal suppression - Movement crushed with mass arrests, violence, and repression.
• Lack of unified support - the Muslim League, the Communist Party, and the Hindu Mahasabha opposed the movement.
• Leadership vacuum - Arrest of all major leaders left the movement without a strategic direction.
• Internal opposition - Leaders like C. Rajagopalachari resigned in protest.

The Quit India Movement of 1942 was the final mass uprising that brought India’s freedom struggle to its decisive turning point. It showed that Indians were ready to give everything for freedom, and the British knew their rule was ending. Five years later, India emerged as an independent nation.

Preparing for the Quit India Movement UPSC topic can greatly strengthen your Modern History preparation for both Prelims and Mains.

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