Quit India

By the late 1850s, Britain was firmly in control of India through the “British Raj,” or Crown rule, and by the end of World War I, a new Indian middle class started to call for independence more publicly. However, the massive territory under British Raj contained modern day India and Pakistan and was extremely diverse, so different factions of people wanted to go about independence in different ways. Around this time, the Hindu Mahatma Gandhi was gaining popularity as a political and spiritual leader who preached non-violence. He and other leaders in the All India Congress began to explore avenues to achieve Indian independence through what became known as the Quit India Movement. However, he did have local Indian opposition: “Mainly three groups did not support the movement and continued to collaborate with the British Empire: the Communists, the Muslim League and the Hindu Mahasabha” (Laliwala, Sharik. “During the Quit India Movement, the Hindu Mahasabha Played the British Game.” The Wire, 8 Aug. 2022). Since all three of these groups were represented in the All India Congress, much of Gandhi’s famous “Quit India” speech was geared toward convincing these groups that they should unite under one cause: Indian independence.

By August of 1942 when Gandhi delivered his speeches, World War II was deep into its third year, and the Allied and Axis forces were drawing their battle lines throughout most of the world. Britain wanted to conscript Indians into their war effort, and many Indian leaders realized that this gave them leverage to push for their independence in exchange for use of Indian soldiers. Britain offered some semblance of a compromise through a meeting with Sir Stafford Cripps, who was a high-ranking British official. However, “upon learning that Cripps wasn’t actually offering full independence […] the Congress and the Muslim League rejected his proposal—leaving Gandhi open to harness the wave of anti-British sentiment for a new round of protests” (Boissoneault, Lorraine. “The Speech That Brought India to the Brink of Independence.” Smithsonian, 8 Aug. 2017). Thus, Britain’s decision not to acquiesce to India’s demands paved the way for Gandhi’s speech. Gandhi also used this opportunity to appeal to the burgeoning United Nations about the usefulness of India during World War II and how its freedom could inspire more nations.

On August 8, 1942, Gandhi delivered the speech in Bombay to a crowd that included the All India Congress, the foreign press, and thousands of others. The next day, the British government arrested and jailed him, as well as many other members of the Congress. Even though thousands heard his speech live, the transcripts were not made available through the press, and it took underground radio to broadcast much of his message to Indians. As a result of Gandhi’s speech and arrest, thousands of Indians protested by going on strike, and, ironically, they did use some violence to push for their freedom. Although it took until 1947 to partition India and cede from Great Britain, it was the Quit India Movement that motivated Indians to fight back against the British Raj. To this day, August 8 is remembered as a day that emboldened Indians to break from their colonial chains.