Quit India Movement

Explains what Quit India movement was The Quit India Movement was first launched in August of 1942. It was a civil disobedience movement that was launched in response to Gandhi’s call for independence. The call for Indian independence was in response to the British’s colonial power and the dissatisfaction in India over the colony situation. It emerged in part due to disaccord in regards to the positions of Britain and India on action to be taken in World War II. Almost the entire Indian National Congress leadership was put into confinement less than twenty-four hours after Gandhi's speech, and the greater number of the Congress leaders were to spend the rest of World War II in jail. The British quickly responded with mass detentions. Over 100,000 arrests were made, hundreds of resisters and innocent people were killed in police and army shootings. Many national leaders went underground and continued their struggle by broadcasting messages over clandestine radio stations, distributing pamphlets and establishing parallel governments.

Explains when resolution called th

A meeting of the All India congress committee was held in Bombay on August 7 , 1942 as scheduled. On th August 8 , the 'Quit India' Resolution was passed by overwhelming majority. The Resolution stated, "The immediate ending of the British rule in India is an urgent necessity for India. That a provisional Government will be formed ... Its primary function must be to defend India ... The provisional government will evolve a scheme for a constituent Assembly” The congress approved of a mass struggle on non-violent lines, on the widest possible scale, to convince the British that they should quit India immediately, which however, did not mean physical withdrawal of the British from India but simply transfer of power into the hands of the Indians.

Explains political situation nd

In order to end the deadlock, the British government on 22 March, 1942, sent Sir Stafford Cripps to talk terms with the Indian political parties and secure their support in Britain's war efforts. A Draft Declaration of the British Government was presented, which included terms like establishment of Dominion, establishment of a Constituent Assembly and right of the Provinces to make separate constitutions. These would be, however, granted after the cessation of the World War II. According to the Indian National Congress this Declaration only offered India a promise that was to be fulfilled in the future. Commenting on this Gandhi said; "It is a post dated cheque on a crashing bank." The Cripps' Mission and its failure also played an important role in Gandhi's call for The Quit India Movement. In the meanwhile, crucial political events took place in England. Chamberlain was succeeded by Churchill as the Prime Minister and the Conservatives, who assumed power in England, did not have a sympathetic stance towards the claims made by the Indians. In order to pacify the Indians in the circumstance of worsening war situation, the Conservatives were forced to concede some of the demands made by the Indians. On August 8th, the Viceroy issued a statement that has come to be referred as the "August Offer". However, the Indian National Congress rejected the offer, followed by the Muslim League.

Explains military situation At the outbreak of war in 1939 between Britain and Germany, India was also declared to be at war with Germany as it constituted part of the British Empire. It was not with the consent of the Indian people that India was dragged into the war. It was not India's war. By 1942, Indians were divided over World War II, as the British Governor-General of India had unilaterally and without consultation brought India into the war. Some wanted to support the British in their Battle of Britain, hoping for eventual independence through this support.

Explains combination of history with novel Rushdie’s postcolonial and postmodern novel draws a picture of the time since around 1915 and explains India’s situation after it gained its independence from the British Empire. In the novel, on the one side we have Saleem’s personal life, and on the other, corresponding to this is the life of the nation. The story traces the various crises in the life of the protagonist that synchronize with the major events and movements in the history of modern India.

Explains consequences to India 

Quit India movement sealed the success for the policy of political resistance, and Gandhi's role as the chief moving force behind India's Independence.

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Muslim League gain power and support from mainly Muslim populated areas. Therefore this was an enormous contribution to the partition of India and the creation of Pakistan. In the early years of Indian independence, the Quit India movement was viewed as a major victory over the British and was taught as such in history textbooks.

 A population of millions had been motivated as it never had before to claim independence as a non-negotiable goal, and every act of defiance and rebellion only reinforced this nationalist feeling.

Explains consequences to Britain  

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By the end of the World War II, Britain's place in the world had changed dramatically and the demand for independence could no longer be ignored. Lastly the economy was affected because the British had to spend precious money sending troops into India to fight their own internal battles rather than sending troops to fight in the war against Germany. The riots in the major cities of India, caused supplies for British troops to become blocked making it increasing harder for the troops to protect the east boarder of India from the ever closer Japanese, and to continue trying to restore order and peace.