Concepts

Quit India Movement

CAPF wiki1 min read6 sections
At a glance
SubjectHistory

Definition

The final mass movement of the freedom struggle, launched by the Congress in August 1942 demanding an immediate end to British rule, with the slogan "Do or Die".

Key points

  • Approved by the Quit India Resolution at the Bombay (Gowalia Tank) session on 8 August 1942; Gandhi gave the call "Do or Die" (Karo ya Maro).
  • The entire top leadership (Gandhi, Nehru, Patel, and others) was arrested on 9 August 1942, leaving the movement largely leaderless and spontaneous.
  • Followed the failure of the Cripps Mission (1942), which offered dominion status after the war but was rejected.
  • Marked by mass strikes, sabotage, and parallel governments (for example at Ballia, Satara, and Tamluk in Midnapore).
  • Suppressed harshly by 1944, but it showed the depth of anti-British feeling and made British withdrawal only a matter of time.

Why it matters for CAPF

The August 1942 date, the Gowalia Tank venue, the "Do or Die" slogan, the link to the Cripps Mission's failure, and the parallel governments are high-frequency facts.

Common confusion

Quit India (1942, immediate "Do or Die") came after the failure of the Cripps Mission; it is the last, not the first, Gandhian mass movement.

One-line recall

1942 "Do or Die" movement demanding immediate British withdrawal; leaders arrested, became spontaneous and mass.

Parent note

gandhian era and mass movements

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