Quit India Movement 1942

Background
1. Gandhi declared that Britain was unable to defend India
  1. And that Indians should prefer a defence strategy of peaceful non-cooperation
2. Gandhi argued that since Japan were hostile towards Brits
  1. as soon as India was a free nation they would negotiation peace with Japan
    1. Congress declined to agree, Nehru rejected working with any fascist power
Beginning of Movement
1. 8 August 1942 Congress meet in Bombay
  1. Concluded that to protect India's rights to freedom they will start a mass non-violent protest on widest possible scale
    1. Gandhi declared it the moment to "do or die for nothing less than freedom"
      1. Also calls for British to 'Quit India' hence the name
Action
1. Leader of Congress socialist party planned to seize Delhi in guerrilla war
  1. Called on US soldier to help them - rejected
2. Unrest, arson and sabotage grew in mostly Hindu areas
3. Can be seen as the most violent protest performed by Indians
  1. Quit India Movement can hardly be described as peaceful
British Reaction
1. By summer of 1942, Linlithgow was aware of mass movement being planned
  1. Had plans made to arrest and deport entire congress leadership to Uganda
    1. With Gandhi being deported to Aden
      1. Plan fell through when governor of Aden rejected idea and with the realisation of the legal issues surrounding deportation
        However, Cabinet authorised Linlithgow to take all necessary measures after they discovered the violent approach of the movement
British Crackdown
1. Arrested Congress Leaders in morning raids
2. Congress working committee imprisonerd
3. Gandhi detained in a palace where he was well looked after
  1. British satisfy his needs, just wanted to remove him from the scene
4. Initial Delhi Hartal resulted in 14 people being killed by police
Direct Action by British
1. Police shot those who broke curfew
2. Conducted public whippings
3. Woman beaten
  1. Also allegations of police raping civilians
4. As violence escalated, there were some cases of policemen being burnt to death by the people
  1. Led to British burning whole villages and using aircraft to machine gun crowds
5. Around 500 arrested without trial and denied visits
6. Linlithgow passed British emergency powers to allow the to crush movement
Suppression
1. By end of 1942, British had managed to suppress Quit India Movement
  1. Using 57 infantry battalions to restore order
2. In the process, it was not only lives, liberties and homes that had been lost
  1. British had lost moral authority in India and with US public opinion
3. Linlithgow increased press censorship while using more serveillance to intercept Congress
Possible reasons why Quit India became violent
1. Realised that British were tied up with WWII, if they used violence at this point they may stand a chance
2. Gandhi "do or die for nothing less than freedom"
  1. People interpret it as encouraging violence
3. Frustration at not being offered independence
  1. Leads to having to use extreme action
    1. Had enough
British Justification of Actions
1. They're in middle of WWII
  1. Have no time to mess around agreeing to peace treaties etc
    1. Had to use immediate extreme action to crush movement
2. Felt under threat by Japanes, a mass movement would make it easier for Japanese to invade

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Quit India Movement 1942

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