Quit India Movement - Causes, Impact, Limitations, Significance

Quit India Movement was a massive anti-colonial struggle in India, launched on August 8, 1942, under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi, who gave the mantra of “Do or Die” during this Movement. Projected initially as the civil disobedience movement, this ‘third great wave’ of India’s struggle for freedom soon took a violent turn with the aim of ‘fight to the finish’ of the colonial empire. Gandhi, understanding the mood of the nation and the importance of individual liberties, was even prepared for riots and violence caused by the Quit India Movement as he thought it morally correct to defend against the state’s organised violence.

Also known as the “ August Kranti Movement,” Quit India Movement was more a rejection of British rule than a traditional Satyagraha and also influenced the unprecedented and tumultuous events for the next five years in Indian history.

Causes of Quit India Movement

The Quit India Movement was the culmination of years of Indian disillusionment with British rule, with the immediate causes being the failure of Cripps mission, hardships caused during World War II and the Japanese knocking at the doors of Indian borders. Some of the major causes of the Quit India Movement are as follows:

• The attitude of the British Government:
  • The Indian people had grown increasingly disillusioned with the British government's failure to fulfil its promises regarding India's self-rule.
  • The British, although they gained Indian support in World War II, did not want to transfer the power easily.
  • The August offer and Cripps mission failed to satisfy the demands of the nationalists.
  • Further, the British support to the demand of Pakistan by the Muslim League was making the Indian nationalists (particularly Gandhi) infuriated.
• Growing Nationalism:
  • By 1942, India's struggle for independence had been ongoing for several decades. The nationalistic sentiments were at its peak, and people grew increasingly impatient with British rule.
  • The extent and activities of the people during the Quit India Movement also reflect this sentiment.
  • They had participated wholeheartedly in the Individual Satyagraha movements of 1940. Further, along with the Kisan Sabha movements, it had prepared the ground for the final battle against the imperialist forces.
  • They already had tasted the sweetness of self-rule through the Congress rule in the period of 1937-39.
  • Therefore, now the people wanted to drive out the British from India.
• Socio-Economic factors:
  • India's participation in World War II placed significant economic burdens and restrictions on the country.
  • The war effort led to rising prices, shortages of essential goods, and increased taxation, causing immense hardships for the Indian population.
  • The shortage of supply of essential goods and the export of rice caused large-scale deprivation and death, ultimately resulting in the Bengal Famine of 1943.
• The defeat of the British in World War II:
  • Reverses suffered by the British in Southeast Asia and the advancement of Japanese troops towards the borders of India increased the popular discontent among the people.
  • The retreat of the British troops from Burma further enhanced this fear.
  • The British attitude towards Indian subjects also exposed the racial discrimination policy of the British.
  • Indians thought they were on their own. Thus there was the utmost need of a nationalist government to defend its borders.
  • And in this situation, the failure of the Cripps Mission led Gandhi and Congress to launch the final strike against the British.

Quit India Movement was a massive anti-colonial struggle in India, launched on August 8, 1942, under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi, who gave the mantra of “Do or Die” during this Movement. Projected initially as the civil disobedience movement, this ‘third great wave’ of India’s struggle for freedom soon took a violent turn with the aim of ‘fight to the finish’ of the colonial empire. Gandhi, understanding the mood of the nation and the importance of individual liberties, was even prepared for riots and violence caused by the Quit India Movement as he thought it morally correct to defend against the state’s organised violence.

Also known as the “ August Kranti Movement,” Quit India Movement was more a rejection of British rule than a traditional Satyagraha and also influenced the unprecedented and tumultuous events for the next five years in Indian history.

Causes of Quit India Movement

The Quit India Movement was the culmination of years of Indian disillusionment with British rule, with the immediate causes being the failure of Cripps mission, hardships caused during World War II and the Japanese knocking at the doors of Indian borders. Some of the major causes of the Quit India Movement are as follows:

• The attitude of the British Government:
  • The Indian people had grown increasingly disillusioned with the British government's failure to fulfil its promises regarding India's self-rule.
  • The British, although they gained Indian support in World War II, did not want to transfer the power easily.
  • The August offer and Cripps mission failed to satisfy the demands of the nationalists.
  • Further, the British support to the demand of Pakistan by the Muslim League was making the Indian nationalists (particularly Gandhi) infuriated.
• Growing Nationalism:
  • By 1942, India's struggle for independence had been ongoing for several decades. The nationalistic sentiments were at its peak, and people grew increasingly impatient with British rule.
  • The extent and activities of the people during the Quit India Movement also reflect this sentiment.
  • They had participated wholeheartedly in the Individual Satyagraha movements of 1940. Further, along with the Kisan Sabha movements, it had prepared the ground for the final battle against the imperialist forces.
  • They already had tasted the sweetness of self-rule through the Congress rule in the period of 1937-39.
  • Therefore, now the people wanted to drive out the British from India.
• Socio-Economic factors:
  • India's participation in World War II placed significant economic burdens and restrictions on the country.
  • The war effort led to rising prices, shortages of essential goods, and increased taxation, causing immense hardships for the Indian population.
  • The shortage of supply of essential goods and the export of rice caused large-scale deprivation and death, ultimately resulting in the Bengal Famine of 1943.
• The defeat of the British in World War II:
  • Reverses suffered by the British in Southeast Asia and the advancement of Japanese troops towards the borders of India increased the popular discontent among the people.
  • The retreat of the British troops from Burma further enhanced this fear.
  • The British attitude towards Indian subjects also exposed the racial discrimination policy of the British.
  • Indians thought they were on their own. Thus there was the utmost need of a nationalist government to defend its borders.
  • And in this situation, the failure of the Cripps Mission led Gandhi and Congress to launch the final strike against the British.

Launch of the Quit India Movement

Congress Working Committee of the Indian National Congress met at Wardha on July 14, 1942, and decided to launch a mass civil disobedience movement under the leadership of Gandhi.

• Formal launch: The All India Congress Committee met at Gowalia Tank, Bombay, on 8 August 1942 and passed the famous Quit India Resolution. Gandhi sloganed his 'Do or Die' call on the same day.
• Demands: It demanded an end to British rule in India with immediate effect, the formation of a provisional government after the war and the declaration of free India.
• Government’s response: On the 8th and 9th of August 1942, the government arrested all the prominent leaders of Congress.
  • Mahatma Gandhi was imprisoned in Poona.
  • Jawaharlal Nehru, Abul Kalam Azad, and other leaders were imprisoned in the Ahmednagar Fort.

Nature of the Quit India Movement

Although the Movement was initially started as a civil disobedience movement, it differed from other movements launched by Gandhi.

• Different from earlier movements:
• The NCM of 1920-22 and the CDM of 1930-34 were conceived as the peaceful resistance to British rule, and the social base expanded slowly to accommodate wider participation of people.
• On the contrary, the Quit India Movement was a massive uprising from the very beginning to compel the British to quit India.
• Ends justifying means:
  • The British’ attitude towards Indians and their endorsement to Jinnah’s communal polity frustrated Gandhi.
  • Knowing the mood of the Indians, especially in the limited but symbolic Individual Satyagrahas, he even believed that the masses could adopt a violent path in self-defence against a well-equipped and strong aggressor. It was reflected in his article in ‘the Harijan’ in March 1942.
  • He opined that every individual must consider himself free and should act for himself to attain freedom.
  • Thus, he was more concerned for the ends (freedom) than the means (methods). 
• Clear goal and objectives: The 1942 Movement’s goal was less ambiguous in its objectives as it was launched to make the complete withdrawal of the British from India. It has four main features:
• Accommodative of violence against the state,
• Aimed at destroying the British rule involving anybody believing in complete independence instead of trained satyagrahis,
• Students were called to play the major role and should lead the Movement after the arrest of senior Congress leaders and
• Total defiance of government authority.
• Leaderless Movement:
  • Once the main leaders were arrested on 9 August, the Movement took a radical turn, often cited as the most ‘un-Gandhian’ method of the freedom movement. 
  • As Gandhi had already sanctioned violence and the role of younger generations, the movement developed at the grassroots level.
• Underground activities: The movement saw the emergence of underground radical activities.
  • Purpose: The purpose of such underground activities was to maintain popular morale, establish a line of command, provide guidance, and distribute arms and ammunition.
  • Key personalities: Rammanohar Lohia, Jayaprakash Narayan, Aruna Asaf Ali, Usha Mehta, Biju Patnaik, Chhotubhai Puranik, Achyut Patwardhan, Sucheta Kripalani, and R.P. Goenka. Usha Mehta established an underground radio station in Bombay.
• Parallel governments: The movement also saw the emergence of parallel governments in certain parts of India.

Spread of the Quit India Movement

Quit India Movement had two phases: themass movement phase (August to September 1942), and the quasi-guerrilla insurgency phase (afterwards). The people started burning and destroying anything that symbolised British authority, such as post offices, police stations, government buildings, Railways and telegraph lines. The scale of participation in Bihar and eastern UP was unparalleled.

Regional Participation in the Quit India Movement

• Bihar:
  • Students, peasants, and workers were actively involved in the Quit India Movement. The underground activities were strong there, which practically broke the law and order. 
  • Severe organisations and dacoit gangs were active, having links with Jayprakash Narayan and other members of the Congress Socialist Party.
  • JP Narayan and Rammanohar Lohia formed a parallel government based on the Nepal border till 1944.
  • The socialist group Azad Dastas carried out underground activities in Bihar.
• UP:
  • Armed villagers targeted police posts and local courts and engaged in looting.
  • There were strikes in Kanpur, Lucknow and Nagpur and violent clashes with striking millworkers in Delhi.
• Bengal:
  • The Quit India Movement primarily occurred in towns and cities, where protests, acts of sabotage, and damage to essential services took place.
  •  In many parts of Bengal, the worker, tribal and peasant movements picked up momentum by linking up with the Quit India movement.
• Western India:
  • In districts such as East Khandesh, Satara, Broach, and Surat large numbers of peasants took part in guerrilla-style attacks on government property, lines of communication, and people known to be sympathetic to British rule.
  • In Gujarat, a parallel government called the "Azad Government" was established in Ahmedabad, replicating the existing administrative structure.
  • Bombay was inspired by inciting underground publications such as the Bombay Provincial Bulletin, Do or Die News-sheet, Free India, War of India Bulletin, Free State of India Gazette and the Congress Gazette.
• South India: K.T. Bhashyam, a Bangalore-based Congress leader who was active in trade unions and organised strikes.

Social Base

• Students: Workers, students and middle-class radicals were involved in most parts of the country, and the movement spread to the villages.
  • Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh witnessed the unprecedented participation of the students.
  • Militant students of Patna and Benares played a significant role in this movement.
• Peasants: The extent of the peasants’ participation was limited as the Quit India Movement was focused more on nationalism than anything else. Still, in Bihar and Eastern UP, they were more active.
• Tribals: In Bengal and Orissa, they participated in the struggle.
• Government officials: Government employees, particularly those from lower ranks of the police and administration, took part, which decreased people's devotion to the government. Some government officials, including police, passed on secret information to the activists.
• Women: Women's participation was remarkable during the Quit India Movement. They actively took part in protests, strikes, and demonstrations and played a significant role in organising and mobilising local communities.

Limitations of the Quit India Movement

While the Quit India Movement played a crucial role in India's struggle for independence, it also had several limitations that affected its overall impact:

• Failed to meet its objectives: The movement did not immediately lead to freedom, and it took more years of struggle and negotiations before independence was achieved.
• Lack of central leadership: The lack of central leadership hindered effective coordination and decision-making, leading to confusion and fragmentation within the movement.
• No consensus: Some political parties and leaders opposed the Quit India Movement.
  • Muslim League, Communist Party of India, and Hindu Mahasabha were against the Movement.
  • Bureaucracy was also against the Movement.
  • B. R. Ambedkar and Periyar were also against the Movement.
• Communal divide:
• Muslim participation in the movement was even lower than the CDM. Jinnah appealed to Muslims to join the armed forces.
• Muslim League used this time period to mobilise masses that helped it in the next elections of 1945-46, which strengthened its demand of a separate state, ultimately resulting in the Partition.
• Further, there were some areas of communal violence during the Movement.
• Neglected by historians:
• This is due to the absence of the major political parties and the leaders playing the central role in the Quit India Movement.

Significance of the Quit India Movement

The Quit India Movement was active until 1944 when the British ruthlessly crushed it. Although it failed to oust the British from India, which was its objective, the Movement was a significant phase of India’s quest for self-rule.

• Most radical movement:
  • In terms of spirit and enthusiasm, this Movement beat all the other earlier movements.
  • NCM was urban-based, and CDM was wider, but the QIM was the most violent and radical, supported mainly by the poor and labour class, the hardest hit by wartime inflation.
• Grassroot leadership:
  • Despite the lack of central leadership, the role played by the younger generations, peasants, tribals, and women was unparalleled.
  • The mass participation, especially in some parts of India, was unprecedented.
  • It was a movement of the subaltern classes of India with a bottom-up approach from the grassroots level.
• The role played by the new class of leaders:
  • The movement witnessed the central role played by the Congress Socialist Party’s leaders, such as  JP Narayan and Ram Manohar Lohia.
• Further, it also gave birth to some young generation leaders, like Aruna Asaf Ali. 
• The way for independence: Although it did not immediately achieve its goals, it contributed to the weakening of British rule and set the tone for future protests such as during the INA Trials.

Launch of the Quit India Movement

Congress Working Committee of the Indian National Congress met at Wardha on July 14, 1942, and decided to launch a mass civil disobedience movement under the leadership of Gandhi.

• Formal launch: The All India Congress Committee met at Gowalia Tank, Bombay, on 8 August 1942 and passed the famous Quit India Resolution. Gandhi sloganed his 'Do or Die' call on the same day.
• Demands: It demanded an end to British rule in India with immediate effect, the formation of a provisional government after the war and the declaration of free India.
• Government’s response: On the 8th and 9th of August 1942, the government arrested all the prominent leaders of Congress.
  • Mahatma Gandhi was imprisoned in Poona.
  • Jawaharlal Nehru, Abul Kalam Azad, and other leaders were imprisoned in the Ahmednagar Fort.

Nature of the Quit India Movement

Although the Movement was initially started as a civil disobedience movement, it differed from other movements launched by Gandhi.

• Different from earlier movements:
• The NCM of 1920-22 and the CDM of 1930-34 were conceived as the peaceful resistance to British rule, and the social base expanded slowly to accommodate wider participation of people.
• On the contrary, the Quit India Movement was a massive uprising from the very beginning to compel the British to quit India.
• Ends justifying means:
  • The British’ attitude towards Indians and their endorsement to Jinnah’s communal polity frustrated Gandhi.
  • Knowing the mood of the Indians, especially in the limited but symbolic Individual Satyagrahas, he even believed that the masses could adopt a violent path in self-defence against a well-equipped and strong aggressor. It was reflected in his article in ‘the Harijan’ in March 1942.
  • He opined that every individual must consider himself free and should act for himself to attain freedom.
  • Thus, he was more concerned for the ends (freedom) than the means (methods). 
• Clear goal and objectives: The 1942 Movement’s goal was less ambiguous in its objectives as it was launched to make the complete withdrawal of the British from India. It has four main features:
• Accommodative of violence against the state,
• Aimed at destroying the British rule involving anybody believing in complete independence instead of trained satyagrahis,
• Students were called to play the major role and should lead the Movement after the arrest of senior Congress leaders and
• Total defiance of government authority.
• Leaderless Movement:
  • Once the main leaders were arrested on 9 August, the Movement took a radical turn, often cited as the most ‘un-Gandhian’ method of the freedom movement. 
  • As Gandhi had already sanctioned violence and the role of younger generations, the movement developed at the grassroots level.
• Underground activities: The movement saw the emergence of underground radical activities.
  • Purpose: The purpose of such underground activities was to maintain popular morale, establish a line of command, provide guidance, and distribute arms and ammunition.
  • Key personalities: Rammanohar Lohia, Jayaprakash Narayan, Aruna Asaf Ali, Usha Mehta, Biju Patnaik, Chhotubhai Puranik, Achyut Patwardhan, Sucheta Kripalani, and R.P. Goenka. Usha Mehta established an underground radio station in Bombay.
• Parallel governments: The movement also saw the emergence of parallel governments in certain parts of India.

Spread of the Quit India Movement

Quit India Movement had two phases: themass movement phase (August to September 1942), and the quasi-guerrilla insurgency phase (afterwards). The people started burning and destroying anything that symbolised British authority, such as post offices, police stations, government buildings, Railways and telegraph lines. The scale of participation in Bihar and eastern UP was unparalleled.

Regional Participation in the Quit India Movement

• Bihar:
  • Students, peasants, and workers were actively involved in the Quit India Movement. The underground activities were strong there, which practically broke the law and order. 
  • Severe organisations and dacoit gangs were active, having links with Jayprakash Narayan and other members of the Congress Socialist Party.
  • JP Narayan and Rammanohar Lohia formed a parallel government based on the Nepal border till 1944.
  • The socialist group Azad Dastas carried out underground activities in Bihar.
• UP:
  • Armed villagers targeted police posts and local courts and engaged in looting.
  • There were strikes in Kanpur, Lucknow and Nagpur and violent clashes with striking millworkers in Delhi.
• Bengal:
  • The Quit India Movement primarily occurred in towns and cities, where protests, acts of sabotage, and damage to essential services took place.
  •  In many parts of Bengal, the worker, tribal and peasant movements picked up momentum by linking up with the Quit India movement.
• Western India:
  • In districts such as East Khandesh, Satara, Broach, and Surat large numbers of peasants took part in guerrilla-style attacks on government property, lines of communication, and people known to be sympathetic to British rule.
  • In Gujarat, a parallel government called the "Azad Government" was established in Ahmedabad, replicating the existing administrative structure.
  • Bombay was inspired by inciting underground publications such as the Bombay Provincial Bulletin, Do or Die News-sheet, Free India, War of India Bulletin, Free State of India Gazette and the Congress Gazette.
• South India: K.T. Bhashyam, a Bangalore-based Congress leader who was active in trade unions and organised strikes.

Social Base

• Students: Workers, students and middle-class radicals were involved in most parts of the country, and the movement spread to the villages.
  • Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh witnessed the unprecedented participation of the students.
  • Militant students of Patna and Benares played a significant role in this movement.
• Peasants: The extent of the peasants’ participation was limited as the Quit India Movement was focused more on nationalism than anything else. Still, in Bihar and Eastern UP, they were more active.
• Tribals: In Bengal and Orissa, they participated in the struggle.
• Government officials: Government employees, particularly those from lower ranks of the police and administration, took part, which decreased people's devotion to the government. Some government officials, including police, passed on secret information to the activists.
• Women: Women's participation was remarkable during the Quit India Movement. They actively took part in protests, strikes, and demonstrations and played a significant role in organising and mobilising local communities.

Limitations of the Quit India Movement

While the Quit India Movement played a crucial role in India's struggle for independence, it also had several limitations that affected its overall impact:

• Failed to meet its objectives: The movement did not immediately lead to freedom, and it took more years of struggle and negotiations before independence was achieved.
• Lack of central leadership: The lack of central leadership hindered effective coordination and decision-making, leading to confusion and fragmentation within the movement.
• No consensus: Some political parties and leaders opposed the Quit India Movement.
  • Muslim League, Communist Party of India, and Hindu Mahasabha were against the Movement.
  • Bureaucracy was also against the Movement.
  • B. R. Ambedkar and Periyar were also against the Movement.
• Communal divide:
• Muslim participation in the movement was even lower than the CDM. Jinnah appealed to Muslims to join the armed forces.
• Muslim League used this time period to mobilise masses that helped it in the next elections of 1945-46, which strengthened its demand of a separate state, ultimately resulting in the Partition.
• Further, there were some areas of communal violence during the Movement.
• Neglected by historians:
• This is due to the absence of the major political parties and the leaders playing the central role in the Quit India Movement.

Significance of the Quit India Movement

The Quit India Movement was active until 1944 when the British ruthlessly crushed it. Although it failed to oust the British from India, which was its objective, the Movement was a significant phase of India’s quest for self-rule.

• Most radical movement:
  • In terms of spirit and enthusiasm, this Movement beat all the other earlier movements.
  • NCM was urban-based, and CDM was wider, but the QIM was the most violent and radical, supported mainly by the poor and labour class, the hardest hit by wartime inflation.
• Grassroot leadership:
  • Despite the lack of central leadership, the role played by the younger generations, peasants, tribals, and women was unparalleled.
  • The mass participation, especially in some parts of India, was unprecedented.
  • It was a movement of the subaltern classes of India with a bottom-up approach from the grassroots level.
• The role played by the new class of leaders:
  • The movement witnessed the central role played by the Congress Socialist Party’s leaders, such as  JP Narayan and Ram Manohar Lohia.
• Further, it also gave birth to some young generation leaders, like Aruna Asaf Ali. 
• The way for independence: Although it did not immediately achieve its goals, it contributed to the weakening of British rule and set the tone for future protests such as during the INA Trials.