Quit India Movement

 Quit India Movement

Mumbai’s Gowalia Tank Maidan also known as August Kranti Maidan is the place where the quit India movement launched by Mahatma Gandhi. He along with other leaders gathered here on August 8 and 9, 1942.

The Congress is declared as an unlawful association and its offices all over the country were raided. British police arrested the leaders and there rose a chaotic moment with this incident.

It has great effect in of National movement in India

The movement gave the slogans ‘Quit India’ or ‘Bharat Chodo’. Gandhi gave the slogan to the people – ‘Do or die’.

The Congress Working Committee on 8 August 1942 in Bombay passed the Quit India Resolution. The Movement leader was Mahatma Gandhi.

The resolution stated the provisions of the movement as:

An immediate end to British rule over India.

Declaration of the commitment of free India to defend itself against all kinds of imperialism and fascism.

Formation of a provisional government of India after British withdrawal.

Sanctioning a civil disobedience movement against British rule.

Nehru was lodged in Almora jail, Maulana Azad in Bankura and Gandhi was kept in Agha Khan’s palace, Poona 

Underground revolutionary activity also started by Jaiprakash Narain and Ramanandan Mishra escaped from Hazaribagh Jail and organized an underground movement 

School and college students and women actively participated, workers went on strikes 

There were no communal clashes during the movement 

The merchant community and capitalist did not participate 

Muslim League kept aloof and the Hindu Mahasabha condemned the movement 

Communist party did not support the movement 

Rajagopalachari also did not participate 

Demand for Pakistan 

In 1930, Md Iqbal for the first time suggested that the Frontier Province Sind, Baluchistan and Kashmir be made the Muslim state within the federation 

Chaudhary Rehmat Ali coined the term Pakistan 

The fear of Muslims to be subjugated by Hindus in free India was realized by Jinnah and be demanded for the creation of Pakistan 

Pakistan Resolution 

Muslim League first passed the proposal of Separate Pakistan in its Lahore Session in 1940 called Jinnah’s Two Nation Theory 

It was drafted by Sikandar Hayat Khan, moved by Fazlul Haq and seconded by Khaliquzzaman

It rejected the federal scheme envisaged in the government of India Act 1935

In Dec 1943 the Karachi Session of the Muslim League adopted the Slogan-‘Divide and Quit’

Gandhiji’s Fast 

10thFeb-7th March in 1943

Gandhi undertook a 21 day fast for condemning the violence of the people during the Quit India Movement 

Rajagopalachari Formula (1944 AD)

The objectives of Rajagopalachari Formula were to bridges between the Muslims League and Indian National Congress arises due to the difference of opinion on two nation theory and independence of India from British. 

C. Rajagopalachari was the veteran Congress leader, made a formula for the Indian National Congress and Muslim League cooperation to write off the political deadlock. 

Formula was supported by M.K Gandhi which was in reality, a silent acceptance of the League’s demand for Pakistan.

Rajagopalachari’s Formula

• Muslim League to support the demand for independence of Congress.
• League to cooperate with Congress in forming a provisional government at center.
• At the end of the War, a commission would be appointed to demarcate the districts having a Muslim population in absolute majority and in elections to be conducted in those areas (including the non-Muslims) on basis of adult suffrage whether or not to form a separate sovereign state.
• All parties would be allowed to express their stand on the partition and their views before the voting or election.
• In case of acceptance of partition, agreement to be made jointly for safeguarding defence, commerce, communications, etc.
• The above terms to be operative only if England transferred full powers to India.

Conclusion

The basic concepts of Rajagopalachari Formula was to engulf the gap between the Muslims League and Indian National Congress arises due to the difference of opinion on two nation theory and independence of India from British.

Shimla Conference or Wavell Plan 1945

• Lord Wavell invited 21 political leaders including Mahatma Gandhi and M A Jinnah to Shimla, the summer capital of British India to discuss the Wavell Plan on June 25th, 1945.
• The conference was a failure because the League and the Congress could not settle their differences.
• Jinnah insisted that only League members could be the Muslim representatives in the Council, and opposed to the Congress nominating Muslim members. This was because Jinnah wanted the League to be the sole representative of Muslims in India. Congress would never agree to this demand.
• In the Wavell Plan, there were 6 Muslim representatives out of 14 members, which was more than the Muslim share of the population. Despite this, the League wanted the power of veto to any constitutional proposal which it believed was not in its interest. Congress opposed this unreasonable demand also.
• Jinnah refused to give the names to the council unless the government acknowledged that only the Muslim League was the exclusive representative of Indian Muslims.
• The Wavell Plan, thus, was dissolved with the failure of the conference. And with it the last chance to avoid partition.

After this, the war ended and a new Labor government was elected in Britain. This new government was intent on giving independence to India without much delay and sent the Cabinet Mission with that purpose.

The failure of the Wavell Plan and the Shimla Conference was a watershed moment for the Indian Independence struggle. All steps taken to prevent partition had been met with failure, meaning that it was inevitable. 

The Indian National Army 

• The idea of Indian National Army was first conceived by Mohan Singh in Malaya, an Indian officer of British Indian Army.
• Indian Prisoners of War were handed over by Japanese to Mohan Singh who then tried to recruit them into an Indian National Army.
• The fall of Singapore brought 45,000 Indian Prisoners of War into Mohan Singh's influence.
• It was repeatedly made clear at various meetings of leaders of Indian community and of Indian army officers that INA would go into action only on the invitation of the Congress and the people of India.
• Indian National Army was organised on 1 September 1942 during the Second World War.
• The outbreak of Quit India Movement gave a fillip to the Indian National army (INA) as well.
• Anti-British demonstrations were organised in Malaya.
• By December 1942, serious differences emerged between Indian army officers led by Mohan Singh and the Japanese over the role that the Indian National Army was to play.
• Mohan Singh and Niranjan Singh Gill, of the INA were arrested.
• The second Phase of Indian National Army began when Subhash Chandra Bose was brought to Singapore on 2nd July, 1943 by means of German and Japanese submarines.
• He went to Tokyo and Prime Minister Tojo declared that Japan had no territorial designs on India.
• Subhash Chandra Bose returned to Singapore and set-up Provincial Government of Free India. It then declared war on Britain and US, and was recognised by the Axis powers and their satellites.
• Subhash Chandra Bose set up two Indian National Army Headquarters, at Rangoon and Singapore.
• A women's regiment Rani Jhansi regiment was formed. The regiment was headed by Lakshmi Sehgal.
• Subhash Chandra Bose renamed Indian National Army as Azad Hind Fauj.

INA Trials 

• The INA commanders PK Sehgal, Shah Nawaz and Gurbaksh Dhillon were put on trial at the Red Fort 
• Defence of INA prisoners in the court was organized by Bhulabhai Desi, Tej Bahadur Sapru, Kailash Nath Katju, Nehru and Asaf Ali 
• Muslilm League also joined the country wide protest 
• 12th Nov 1945 was celebrate as INA Day 

Cabinet Mission Plan

The British wanted a united India which would be helpful in commonwealth defense and which would have friendly relations with Britain was needed. This thought was also reflected in Attlee’s announcement that a minority shall not be allowed to veto the progress of the majority. The cabinet mission was convinced too that minority should be accommodated within the existing framework of united India.

Features of the cabinet mission plan:

• Provinces would be divided into three separate groups and each would meet to decide their own group constitutions.
• Union would be a common center controlling defense, foreign affairs and communications.
• Constituent assembly to frame the constitution. It would have members from princely states, provincial governments [indirectly elected] and nominated members.

The congress interpreted the plan as positive to it since there was no provision for Pakistan and a single constituent assembly to be formed. The league accepted the plan interpreting it to have provisions for a separate Pakistan. However after Nehru declared the constituent assembly to be sovereign, Jinnah withdrew leagues acceptance of the plan.

Attlee’s Statement 20th Feb, 1947

• Clement Attlee, the British Prime Minister made an announcement on February 20, 1947 declaring the British intention of leaving the Indian subcontinent. It said:
• A deadline of June 30, 1948 was fixed for transfer of power even if the Indian politicians had not agreed by that time on the constitution.
• The British would relinquish power either to some form of central government or in some areas to the existing provincial governments if the constituent assembly was not fully representative, i.e., if the Muslim majority provinces did not join.
• British powers and obligations vis-a-vis the princely states would lapse with transfer of power, but these would not be transferred to any successor government in British India.
• Mountbatten would replace Wavell as the viceroy.
• The statement contained clear hints of partition and even Balkanization of the country into numerous states and was, in essence, a reversion of the Cripps Offer