the Quit India Movement, underground
movement and the contribution of Indian
National Army.
Act of 1935 : This Act made a
provision for the British governed Indian
provinces and Princely States to form a
federation. According to this act, the
working of British governed provinces will
be handed over to the Indian representatives.
If the princely states join the federation
then they would lose their autonomy, hence
they refused to join. Therefore the proposal
of federal state in the Act was not brought
into practice.
Provincial Cabinets : The Indian
National Congress was not satisfied with
the Act of 1935, but still decided to take
part in the elections of Provincial legislature
provided by the Act. In 1937, elections
were held in eleven provinces in the
country. Among these, Indian National
Congress gained majority over eight
provinces and came to power. In other
three provinces none of the party could
achieve majority and therefore mixed
cabinet was formed.
The Cabinet ministers of Indian
National Congress did useful work for the
people such as release of political prisoners
from jail, introduction of basic education,
prohibition of liquor, measures undertaken
to improve condition of the Dalits, passing
of Act giving debt relief to the farmers etc.
Cripps Mission : During the second
world war, England supported America
against Japan. The Japanese army reached
the eastern borders of India. The British
realised that if Japan attacks India, then
they will need co-operation from the
Indians. Hence the British Prime Minister
Winston Churchill sent Sir Stafford Cripps
to India. In March 1942, he put up a
proposal of India in front of the Indians.
But none of the political party was satisfied
with this proposal. The Indian National
Congress rejected the proposal since there
was no clear mention of complete
independence. Since there was no mention
of creation of Pakistan, the Muslim League
also rejected the Cripps Mission.
Second World War and Indian
National Congress : The Second World
War began in Europe in 1939. The then
Viceroy Lord Linlithgo declared that India
has joined the war on the side of the
British. England claimed that it is fighting
to save Democracy in Europe. The Indian
National Congress demanded that if the
claim was true then England should
immediately grant freedom to India.
England refused to fulfill this demand and
therefore the provincial ministers of Indian
National Congress resigned in November
1939.
Quit India Movement : After the
Cripps mission, the Indian National
Congress decided to start an intense
movement for attaining independence. The
Working Committee of the Congress passed
a resolution on 14 July 1942 at Wardha.
The resolution demanded that the British
rule in India be ended immediately and
India should be given independence. If this
demand was not fulfilled then the Indian
National Congress warned to start a non
violent movement for freedom of India.
Quit India Resolution : On 7 August
1942, the session of Indian National
Congress was held at Gowalia Tank
(Kranti Maidan) in Mumbai. Maulana
Abul Kalam Azad was the President of
this session. The British should leave India,
this resolution passed by Congress Working
Committee at Wardha was to be finally
approved in the Mumbai session. On 8 August the resolution
of ‘Quit India’ put
forth by Jawaharlal
Nehru got passed with
great majority. It was
also decided to start a
nation wide non
violent agitation under
the leadership of
Mahatma Gandhi.
Gandhiji said, “Every
one of you should,
from this moment onwards, consider
yourself a free man or woman and behave
like a citizen of free India.... we shall either
free India or die in the attempt.” Gandhiji
made an inspirational appeal to the public
to be ready to sacrifice with the feeling of
‘Do or Die’.
Beginning of People’s Movement :
The news of arrest of important leaders of
Indian National Congress spread out all
over the country. The angry mob took out
processions at various places. Even though
police lathi charged and opened firing on
the public but still people were not afraid.
The agitators attacked some places jails,
police stations, railway stations etc. which
symbolised the suppressive policy of thBritish. They tried to take control of
Government offices. In Maharashtra, the
young and old struggled with determination
and boundless courage at places like
Chimur, Ashti, Yavali, Mahad, Gargoti
etc. and made the struggle immortal.Underground Movement : At the end
of 1942 the public
movement got a new
turn. The leadership
of this movement
went into hands of
young socialist
activists. Jayprakash
Narayan, Dr. Ram
Manohar Lohia,
Chhotubhai Puranik,
Achyutrao Patwardhan, Aruna Asaf Ali,
Yusuf Meher Ali, Sucheta Kriplani, S.M.
Joshi, Shirubhau Limaye, N.G. Gore,
Yashwantrao Chavan, Vasantdada Patil,
Maganlal Bagdi, Usha Mehta such leaders
were in the forefront. The activist disrupted
the transport and communication as well
as the government machinery by causing
the breakdown of Railway routes, cutting
of telephone line, blowing up bridges etc.
The impact of the movement was seen all
over India. Hemu Kalani, in Sindh province, tried to destroy the railway along with his
companions when he received the news of
passing of a railway carrying British troops
and supplies. The court punished him to be
hanged to death.
Bhai Kotwal’s ‘Azad Dasta’ in Karjat
taluka of modern day Raigad district,
General Awari’s ‘Lal Sena’ in Nagpur
such groups made the government helpless
and witless for months. In Mumbai, Vitthal
Zaveri, Usha Mehta and her companions
established a secret transmission centre
named ‘Azad Radio’. Patriotic songs were
sung on it. News of agitations in the
country where broadcasted on it. Patriotic
speeches were telecasted. This gave
encouragement to the agitators. Such
transmission centres operated at Kolkata,
Delhi and Pune for some period of time.
Establishment of Parallel
Government : At some places in the
country, British officers were driven out
and the ‘People’s Government’ was
established. These are called ‘Parallel
Government’. Parallel Government where
formed in districts of Midnapore in Bengal,
Ballia and Azamgarh in Uttar Pradesh and
Purnia in Bihar.
In Satara district of Maharashtra, in
1942, Krantisinh Nana Patil brought an end
to the British government and established
parallel government. At Kundal, under the
leadership of Krantiagrani G. D. alias Bapu
Lad, ‘Toofan Sena’ was established. Through
its medium, collection of taxes, maintenance
of law and order, punishment to criminals,
such work was done by the Parallel Government. People started accepting the
verdict passed by the People’s Court
appointed by the Parallel Government.
Opposition to money
lenders, prohibition on
liquor, spread of literacy,
opposition to caste
distinctions many such
constructive work was
done by this government.
Due to it the Parallel
Government became a
source of inspiration for
the public.
Importance of Quit India Movement :
The 1942 movement took up the form of a
nationwide agitation. To fulfill the objectives
of gaining independence lakhs of Indians
made unlimited sacrifices. Many sacrificed
their lives. The number of people
participating in the struggle was so huge
that even all the prisons in the whole of the
country were not enough to contain them.
The patriotic songs
composed by Sane
Guruji, Rashtrasant
Tukdoji Maharaj and
others increased the
enthusiasm of the
agitators. This
nationwide movement is
also called ‘August
Kranti’.
Indian National
Army (Azad Hind Sena) : Netaji Subhash
Chandra Bose took phenomenal efforts for
gaining independence of India. On the
eastern borders of India, thousands of
Indians stood in readiness to fight against
the British. All these soldiers belonged to
Azad Hind Sena. Netaji Subhash Chandra
Bose was their leader.
Subhash Chandra Bose was an important
leader of Indian National Congress. He
graced the position of President of Congress
twice. As per his opinion, while England was engaged in Second
World War, the
Indians should take
advantage of it and
make the movement
more intense. If
necessary India
should seek the help
of enemies of
England. But there
aroused difference of
opinion between him and other senior leaders
of Congress. As a result, Subhash Chandra
Bose resigned from the position of President.
To place his views in front of the people he
founded a party known as ‘Forward Bloc’.
Through his speeches, Netaji appealed
to the Indians to revolt against the British
rule. Due to it the Government imprisoned
him. Subhash Chandra Bose went on fast
unto death in the prison due to which the
British Government interned him in his
residence. From there he escaped in
disguise. In April 1941 he reached
Germany. There he founded the ‘Free India
Centre’. From the Berlin Radio station in
Germany, he appealed to the Indian people
to join in an armed struggle. During this
period, Rash Behari Bose invited Subhash
Chandra Bose to Japan.
Formation of
the Indian National
Army : Rash Behari
Bose was staying in
Japan since 1915. He
had organised the
Indian patriots living
in countries of South
East Asia and
established the
organisation named
‘Indian Independence League’. In the early
part of 1942, Japan conquered the territiries
in South East Asia which were controlled
by the British. Thousands of Indian soldiers
and officers in British army there, fell into
the hands of Japan. Rash Behari Bose, with
the help of Captain Mohan Singh, formed
a battalion of these Indian Prisoners of War.
It was named as ‘Indian National Army’
(Azad Hind Sena). Later Netaji Subhash
Chandra Bose led the Indian National Army.
In October 1943, Netaji established
Azad Hind Government in Singapore. Shah
Nawaz Khan, Jagannath Bhosale,
Dr.Laxmi Swaminathan, Gurubuksh Sing
Dhillon, Prem Kumar Sehgal etc. were his
chief associates. Captain Laxmi
Swaminathan was the Commander of Rani
of Jhansi Regiment. Netaji appealed to the
Indian people- ‘You give me blood and I
will give you independence’.
Achievements of Indian National
Army : In November 1943, Japan
conquered Andaman and Nicobar islands
and handed them over to Azad Hind
Government. Netaji renamed them as
‘Shahid’ and ‘Swarajya’ respectively. In
1944, Indian National Army captured the
Aarakan province in Myanmar. Posts on
the eastern border of Assam were captured.
In the same period the campaign of Imphal
remained incomplete because Japan
stopped helping the Indian National Army.
But in adverse circumstances, soldiers of
Indian National Army were dedicatedly
fighting. But in the same period, Japan
accepted defeat. On 18 August 1945
Subhash Chandra Bose died in a plane
accident. On this background the soldiers
of Indian National Army had to lay down
their arms. Thus ended the thrilling phase
of the Indian National Army.
Later, the British Government
charged the officers of Indian National
Army with treason. Pandit Jawaharlal
Nehru, Bhulabhai Desai, Tej Bahadur
Sapre these expert lawyers defended them.
But the military tribunal held the officers
guilty and they were sentenced to life
imprisonment. Therefore there was severe
unrest against the British Government in
the minds of Indian people. Finally the
British Government had to suspend the punishments given by the military tribunal.
Revolts of Indian Navy and Airforce :
The navy and Air force soldiers, with the
inspiration from Indian National Army,
caused discontent against the British
Government. It burst out on the British war
ship ‘Talwar’ in Mumbai on 18 February
1946. The soldiers unfurled the tri colour
flag on the British warship. They raised
slogans against the British Government.
The British Government sent army to open
fire on the naval soldiers. The rebels also
made counter attack with firing. The
workers and common people extended their
support to the naval soldiers. Finally with
the mediation of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel,
the naval soldiers laid down their armsTo support the uprising of naval
soldiers, the Air force officers from Delhi,
Lahore, Karachi, Ambala, Meerut etc.
went on strike. These revolts were a clear
indication that the sentiments of discontent
against the rulers had reached a climax. In
this way the period between 1942 to 1946
shook the foundation of British power in
India. Through the Quit India Movement
the severe discontent of Indian people
against the British was expressed. Army,
Navy and Air Force was the backbone of
British power. They were also now
opposing the British. Due to these incidents
the British rulers realised that they will not
be able to empower India for a long period
of time
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