The Quit India Movement

The Quit India Movement (Bharat Chhodo Andolan or the August Movement) was a civil disobedience movement launched in India in August 1942 in response to Mohandas Gandhi's call for immediate independence. Gandhi hoped to bring the British government to the negotiating table.[1] Almost the entire Congress leadership, and not merely at the national level, 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 the war in jail.


Under the leadership of Gandhi the Quit India Movement was launched. The purpose of this was to set up series of non-violent ways hopefully leading up to the long awaited Independence. From this quote by Gandhi "We shall either free India or die in the attempt; We shall not live to see the perpetuation of our slavery" the saying Do or Die soon became popular among the Indian people. This was a simple way of stating the way the importance to regain independence.

This Movement got off to a rocky start because before Congress could pass the movement the government declared it illegal and arrested all of the major leader. As a result of this a series of revolts broke out in what was known as "British Quit India." The middle class was especially active during the first few phases. But they were soon weakened by the harsh repression. The last phase in the movement was a difficult one characterized by terrorist activity against communication, police and army installations.

A man named Chandrashekhar Azad put together a campaign called Azad Hind Fauj which stood for Indian Nations Army-INA. His only slogan during the whole campaign was simply "Give me blood and I'll give you freedom."

Many people of India joined in the INA to support the Indian soldiers. But sadly enough after the the Japanese defeated them in 1945 they INA's power and strength slowly declined from there. This was significiant because India as a whole supported the INA with all there strength because they were the people standing up and protecting them. And one time when there was a military tribunal held against several INA officers and they were found guilty to severe punishment, the people of India became enraged. As a result of this the Government cancelled their punishment.

The Government was strongly against the movement and their goal was to make sure it didn't get out of hand. They did everything from arrested people to physically beating others. The supports of the movement were often shot at and sometimes every bombes from the sky. This was definitly one of the most brutal events to happen in India. The British people definitly came out on top and the remaining two and a half years remained unchanged politically wise until the day their independence was granted to them.

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