Resignation of Congress Ministries: The Second World War broke out in September 1939. The Congress urged the government to declare war aims. The British authorities issued contradictory statements about the war aims. The British government involved in the war without consulting the national leaders. The Viceroy assumed emergency powers under the defence of India rules. Protesting against such policies of government, the Congress ministries in the provinces resigned in October 1939.
The National Congress was in full sympathy with the victims of fascist aggression. It was willing to help the forces of democracy in their struggle against fascism. But, the Congress leaders asked, how was it possible for an enslaved nation to aid others in their fight for freedom? T6hey therefore demanded that India must be declared free or at least effective power put in Indian hands before it could actively participate in the War.The government reused to accept this demand and tried to pit the religious minorities and Prices against the Congress. Therefore, the Congress asked its ministries to resign.
August Offer: In August 1940 the Viceroy announced an offer which proposed the expansion of Governor General’s Council with representation of the Indians and establishing a war advisory council. The Viceroy promised the Muslim League that the British government would never agree to a constitution or government in India which did not enjoy their support. The Congress was wholly disappointed with the August Offer.
Individual Satyagraha: In October 1940, Gandhi gave a call for a limited satyagraha by a few selected individuals. The satyagraha was kept limited so as not to embarrass Britain’s war effort by a mass upheaval in India. Vinoba Bhave was the first to offer satyagraha. By 15 May 1941, more than 25000 satyagrahis had been jailed.
Japanese Threat and the Cripps mission.
Two major changes in world politics occurred in 1941. Germany attacked Soviet Union and Japan attacked Pearl Harbour, an American fleet. Japan occupied Rangoon in March 1942. This brought the war to India’s doorstep. The Congress leaders denounced Japanese aggression and once again offered to cooperate in the defence of India and the Allied cause if Britain transferred the substance of power to India immediately and promised complete independence after the war.
The British government now desperately wanted the active cooperation of Indians in the war effort. To secure this cooperation it sent to India in March 1942 a mission headed by a Cabinet Minister, Sir Stafford Cripps. Important proposals of Cripps were [a] dominion status would be granted to India immediately after the war with the right to secede,[b] immediately after the cessation of hostilities a constitution making body would be set up, [c] The constitution so framed after the war would be accepted by the British government on the condition that any Indian province could, if so desired, remain outside the Indian union, and [d] the actual control of defence and military operations would be retained by the British government.
The British government refused to accept the Congress demand for immediate transfer of effective power to Indians. The Indian leaders could not be satisfied with mere promises for the future. Gandhiji termed the Cripps Mission as a post dated cheque on a crashing bank. The Cripps mission failed to pacify Indians.
The Quit India Movement
Gandhiji becoming more and more militant as Japanese forces moved towards India. The Congress now decided to take active steps to compel the British to accept the Indian demand for independence. The All India Congress Committee met at Bombay on 8 August 1942. It passed the famous ‘Quit India’ Resolution and proposed the starting of a non-violent mass struggle under Gandhiji’s leadership to achieve this aim. Gandhiji gave a mantra, ‘Do or Die’, to the people. Gandhiji told the British to quit and ‘leave the country in God’s on hand’. Addressing the Congress delegates Gandhi said, “ I, therefore , want freedom immediately, this very night, before dawn, if it can be had. …….”
But before the Congress could start a movement, the government struck hard. Early in the morning of 9 August, Gandhi and other Congress leaders were arrested and taken to unknown destinations, and the Congress was once again declared illegal.
Left leaderless and without any organization, the people reacted in any manner they could. All over the country there were hartals, strikes in factories, schools and colleges, and demonstrations, which were lathi charged and fired upon. The movement was based on non-violent lines in the initial phase. Angered by repeated firings and repression, in many places the people took to violent actions. They attacked the symbols of British authority- the police stations, railway stations, etc. The Gandhian method of non-violent strugtgle was pushed into the back ground and people started their own methods of struggle. Barun De said, “ what started as individual acts of angry defiance, soon swelled into a movement and the movement into revolt”.
British authority disappeared in parts of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Orissa, Andra, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra. In some areas, such as Ballia in Eastern U.P, Tamluk in Midnapore district of Bengal and Satara district of Bombay, the revolutionaries set up parallel governments.
In general the workers, peasants and students provided the leadership of the movement. The movement did not evoke much response from the merchant community. The Muslim League kept aloof from the movement. The Hindu Mahasabha condemned the movement. The Communist Party of India did not support the movement due to its ‘people’s war line’.
In the end the government succeeded in crushing the movement. Arrests, detention, police firing, burning of Congress offices etc. were the methods adopted by the government. India had not witnessed such intense repression since the revolt of 1857.
The importance of the Quit India movement lay in the fact that it demonstrated the depth that nationalist that nationalist feeling had reached in the country and the capacity for struggle and sacrifice that the people had developed. It was evident that the British would no longer find it possible to rule India against the wishes of the people.
Kerala also witnessed the echo of Quit India Movement in the form of meetings and processions and attacks on police stations and government offices. A major incident in connection with the movement was Kizhariyur Bomb Case in which 27 persons under the leadership of K.B.Menon were accused of conspiracy to make bombs for the purpose of destroying bgovernment buildings and bridges. K.B.Menon and twelve others were sentenced to long term imprisonment.
Indian National Army
There were many Indian revolutionaries working abroad for the country’s cause. Among these Rash Behari Bose living as a fugitive since 1915 in Japan. Major Fujiwara, a Japanese army officer persuaded Captain Mohan Singh to work in collaboration with Japanese for India’s freedom. In March 1942 a conference of Indians was held in Tokyo and they formed the Indian Independence League. This was followed by a conference at Bankok where Rash Behari was elected as the President and a decision was taken to raise the Indian National Army[Azad Hind Fauj]. Captain Mohan Singh was appointed as the commander of I.N.A. this conference invited S.C.Bose to lead the movement. S Subhas Chandra Bose had escaped from India in March 1941 to go to Soviet Union for help. But when the Soviet Union joined with the allies in June 1941, he went to Germany. In February he left for Japan to organize an armed struggle against the British rule with Japanese help. He joined the INA at Singapore in July 1943. Rash Behari handed over the leadership to S.C.Bose and an Azad Hind Sarkar was formed.
The INA in a few months had three fighting brigades named Gandhi, Azad and Nehru. Soon other brigades namely Subhash brigade and Jhansi Rani brigade were formed. The slogans of INA were ‘Jai Hind’ and ‘Delhi Chalo’. Subhas declared that, “ you give me blood, I will give you freedom”. The INA crossed the Indian frontier on 18 March 1944. The tricolour flag was hoisted on Indian soil. The INA fought heroically. With the collapse of Germany and setbacks to Japanese, the INA could not stand on its own. Subhas Chandra Bose disappeared and it is believed that he died in an air crash.
The INA made a significant impact on India’s freedom struggle. It became clear to the British that they could no longer depend on the loyalty of Indian soldiers. The INA demonstrated that those who waged an armed struggle against the British were not at all affected by communal divisions. The INA also demonstrated that the capabilities of Indian women in waging armed struggle against the British.
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