🔆 Quit India Movement | Bharat Chhodo Andolan
📍 Why in News?
✅ The Chairman of Rajya Sabha made a solemn reference in Parliament to commemorate the 84th Anniversary of the Quit India Movement
🔆 About the Quit India Movement
✅ Also known as August Kranti
✅ A mass movement launched by the Indian National Congress (INC) demanding an immediate end to British colonial rule
✅ Launched on 8 August 1942
✅ Major mass mobilisation began after the arrest of Congress leaders on 9 August 1942
✅ Famous slogan – “Do or Die” (Karo Ya Maro)
🔆 Launch & Leadership
📍 Location
✅ Gowalia Tank Maidan, Bombay, now known as August Kranti Maidan, Mumbai
📍 Key Leaders
✅ Mahatma Gandhi
✅ Jawaharlal Nehru
✅ Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
✅ Maulana Abul Kalam Azad
✅ Aruna Asaf Ali
🔆 Background
📍 World War II
✅ Japan’s advance through Southeast Asia after the attack on Pearl Harbor brought the war closer to India
✅ Fall of Singapore and Rangoon intensified fears of Japanese invasion
📍 Failure of Cripps Mission, 1942
✅ Sir Stafford Cripps offered post-war constitutional arrangements, including Dominion Status
✅ Congress rejected the proposal as it did not provide immediate self-government
✅ Failure of negotiations increased political frustration and strengthened the demand for British withdrawal
📍 Congress Decisions
✅ Congress Working Committee adopted the Quit India proposal at Wardha in July 1942
✅ AICC formally approved the resolution at Bombay on 8 August 1942
🔆 Major Events
📍 Mass Arrests
✅ In the early hours of 9 August 1942, British authorities arrested major Congress leaders
✅ The arrests created a leadership vacuum and triggered spontaneous mass protests across India
📍 Underground Resistance
✅ Aruna Asaf Ali hoisted the national flag at Gowalia Tank Maidan
✅ Usha Mehta operated the underground Congress Radio
✅ Underground networks helped maintain communication and resistance
📍 Parallel Governments
✅ Tamluk Jatiya Sarkar – Midnapore, Bengal
✅ Prati Sarkar – Satara, Maharashtra, associated with Nana Patil
✅ Balia – Uttar Pradesh, led by Chittu Pandey
🔆 British Repression
✅ British authorities used mass arrests, police firing, censorship, and heavy fines
✅ More than 1 lakh people were imprisoned
✅ Railways and telegraph networks were targeted by protesters as part of resistance activities
🔆 Significance
✅ Demonstrated the widespread popular rejection of British colonial rule
✅ Disrupted colonial administrative machinery in several regions
✅ Strengthened the demand for complete independence
✅ Made continued British rule increasingly difficult after the Second World War
✅ Became a crucial milestone in the transition towards Indian independence in 1947
🔆 Prelims Facts
✅ Year – 1942
✅ Date of launch – 8 August 1942
✅ Place – Gowalia Tank Maidan, Bombay
✅ Slogan – Do or Die
✅ Underground Radio – Usha Mehta
✅ Flag at Gowalia Tank – Aruna Asaf Ali
✅ Satara Parallel Government – Nana Patil
✅ Balia Parallel Government – Chittu Pandey
#history #prelims #mains
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