Spread of the Quit India Movement and Government Repression
Modern History › Quit India Movement, Demand for Pakistan and the INA · Topic 23.2
On 9 August 1942 all top Congress leaders were arrested in a single sweep, the Congress organisations were declared unlawful, and the movement was carried on by young and militant elements, with attacks on symbols of authority, underground activity and parallel governments at Ballia, Tamluk and Satara. The repression was severe, with the death toll estimated at 10,000, though martial law was not declared.
6 min read · UPSC Prelims · History · Quit India Movement, Demand for Pakistan and the INA
At a Glance
- 9 August 1942 All top leaders arrested in the early hours
- Centres Eastern United Provinces, Bihar, Midnapore, Maharashtra, Karnataka
- Parallel governments Ballia, Tamluk and Satara
- Deaths Estimated at 10,000
- Exam link UPSC Prelims, Modern History: Quit India Movement, Demand for Pakistan and the INA
Where Does It Fit?
This is the second topic of the category on the Quit India Movement, the demand for Pakistan and the INA. The previous topic covered the resolution and Gandhi’s instructions. This topic covers the course of the movement and the repression. The next topic covers Gandhi’s fast and the famine of 1943. Previous topic: Why Quit India: The Resolution and Gandhi’s Instructions.
What Happened on 9 August 1942?
Gandhi had carefully built the tempo through individual civil disobedience, organisational revamping and a consistent propaganda campaign. The government, however, was in no mood to negotiate or to wait for the movement to be formally launched. In the early hours of 9 August 1942, in a single sweep, all the top Congress leaders were arrested and taken to unknown destinations. The Working Committee, the All India Congress Committee and the Provincial Congress Committees were declared unlawful associations under the Criminal Law Amendment Act of 1908, and public meetings were banned under rule 56 of the Defence of India Rules.
The removal of established leaders left the movement to younger and militant elements. With the major leaders out of the picture, the then little-known Aruna Asaf Ali presided over the Congress session on 9 August and hoisted the flag. The resolution is in Why Quit India: The Resolution and Gandhi’s Instructions.
How Did the Public Respond?
The general public attacked symbols of authority and forcibly hoisted national flags on public buildings. Satyagrahis courted arrest, bridges were blown up, railway tracks removed and telegraph lines cut. This was most intense in the eastern United Provinces and Bihar. Students struck, joined processions, wrote and distributed illegal news sheets (patrikas) and acted as couriers for underground networks. Workers struck in Ahmedabad, Bombay, Jamshedpur, Ahmednagar and Poona.
What Was the Underground Activity?
Many nationalists went underground. They included socialists, Forward Bloc members, Gandhi’s ashramites, revolutionary nationalists and local organisations in Bombay, Poona, Satara, Baroda and other parts of Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra, the United Provinces, Bihar and Delhi. Prominent figures included Rammanohar Lohia, Jayaprakash Narayan, Aruna Asaf Ali, Usha Mehta, Biju Patnaik, Chhotubhai Puranik, Achyut Patwardhan, Sucheta Kripalani and R.P. Goenka. Usha Mehta started an underground radio in Bombay. The underground work aimed to keep popular morale up by providing a line of command and guidance and by distributing arms and ammunition. The Forward Bloc is in Haripura and Tripuri Sessions and Subhash Bose’s Views.
What Were the Parallel Governments?
| Place | Details |
|---|---|
| Ballia, Uttar Pradesh | In August 1942, for a week, under Chittu Pandey, who obtained the release of many Congress leaders |
| Tamluk, Midnapore | From December 1942 to September 1944; the Jatiya Sarkar did cyclone relief work, gave grants to schools, supplied paddy from the rich to the poor and organised Vidyut Vahinis |
| Satara, Maharashtra | From mid-1943 to 1945; called the Prati Sarkar under leaders including Y.B. Chavan and Nana Patil; set up village libraries and Nyayadan Mandals, ran prohibition campaigns and held Gandhi marriages |
Active help came from businessmen with donations, shelter and material, from students as couriers, from villagers who refused information to the authorities, from pilots and train drivers who delivered bombs and material, and from government officials, including police, who passed on secret information.
Who Participated and Who Did Not?
| Group | Role |
|---|---|
| Youth | Students of schools and colleges in the forefront |
| Women | Active, especially school and college girls; Aruna Asaf Ali, Sucheta Kripalani and Usha Mehta |
| Workers | Went on strike and faced repression |
| Peasants | Of all strata at the heart of the movement; even some zamindars took part; the offensive was against symbols of authority and there was no anti-zamindar violence |
| Officials | Lower-level police and administrative staff took part, eroding loyalty to the government |
| Muslims | Gave shelter to underground activists; there were no communal clashes during the movement |
| Communists | Did not join; after Germany attacked the Soviet Union they supported the British war, which became the People’s War |
| Muslim League | Opposed the movement, fearing the oppression of minorities by Hindus if the British left |
| Hindu Mahasabha | Boycotted the movement |
| Princely states | Low-key response |
How Severe Was the Repression?
Though martial law was not applied, repression was severe. Crowds were lathi-charged, tear-gassed and fired upon, and the number killed is estimated at 10,000. The press was muzzled, the military took over many cities, and police and secret service reigned. Rebellious villages were heavily fined, and mass flogging was done in many.
How Is the Movement Assessed?
- Left without leaders, the movement lacked restraint and violence became common.
- Its main storm centres were eastern Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Midnapore, Maharashtra and Karnataka.
- Students, workers and peasants were its backbone, while the upper classes and the bureaucracy remained largely loyal.
- Loyalty to the government was considerably eroded, showing how deep nationalism had reached.
- It showed that India could no longer be ruled without the wishes of Indians.
- Spontaneity was higher than before, though the Congress had long prepared ideologically, politically and organisationally.
- It placed the demand for independence on the immediate agenda: after Quit India there could be no retreat.
- Common people showed unparalleled heroism and militancy against brutal repression.
As an analytical point, the movement was both planned and spontaneous: the Congress had prepared the ground, but the arrest of the leaders left local initiative to decide its form, which explains both the sabotage and the creation of parallel governments. The events that followed are in Gandhi’s Fast and the Famine of 1943.
Why Is This Topic Important?
- Parallel governments Ballia, Tamluk and Satara are stock Prelims facts
- Group-wise participation A recurring Mains theme
- Significance Independence placed on the immediate agenda
What Came Next?
The next topic describes Gandhi’s fast of 1943 and the Bengal famine. Next topic: Gandhi’s Fast and the Famine of 1943.
Key People and Terms
- Aruna Asaf Ali Hoisted the flag at Gowalia Tank on 9 August 1942
- Patrikas Illegal news sheets
- Vidyut Vahinis Tamluk’s volunteer groups
- Prati Sarkar The Satara parallel government
- Jatiya Sarkar The Tamluk parallel government
- Nyayadan Mandals People’s courts of Satara
Exam Corner
Points to Remember
- Leaders arrested 9 August 1942; organisations banned under the 1908 Act.
- Aruna Asaf Ali hoisted the flag.
- Parallel governments: Ballia, Tamluk, Satara.
- Communists and the League kept away.
- Deaths estimated at 10,000.
Do Not Confuse With
- Tamluk and Satara governments Tamluk: Jatiya Sarkar, 1942-44; Satara: Prati Sarkar, 1943-45
- Ballia and Tamluk Ballia lasted a week; Tamluk about two years
- Planned and spontaneous aspects The Congress prepared the ground; local people decided the form
Memory Hook
Leaders arrested in a night, the people took the movement and three governments of their own.
Mains Angle
Questions ask about the nature of the movement and its significance. These points add depth.
- Leaderless Violence and sabotage
- Constructive Parallel governments
- Significance Independence on the immediate agenda
A Question You May Face
An original practice question, not a past paper question.
“Describe the course of the Quit India Movement and assess its significance.”
How to Answer
- Arrests 9 August 1942.
- Course Public action, underground and parallel governments.
- Participation Who joined and who stayed away.
- Conclude Significance despite repression.
GS Relevance
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened on 9 August 1942?
In the early hours of 9 August 1942 all top Congress leaders were arrested and taken to unknown places, and the Working Committee, the AICC and provincial committees were declared unlawful. Aruna Asaf Ali, then little known, presided over the Congress session at Gowalia Tank and hoisted the flag.
What were the parallel governments of the Quit India Movement?
Ballia in Uttar Pradesh ran under Chittu Pandey for a week in August 1942. Tamluk's Jatiya Sarkar worked from December 1942 to September 1944, and Satara's Prati Sarkar from mid-1943 to 1945 under leaders including Y.B. Chavan and Nana Patil.
Who took part in the underground activity?
Socialists, Forward Bloc members, Gandhi's ashramites and revolutionary nationalists took part, including Rammanohar Lohia, Jayaprakash Narayan, Aruna Asaf Ali, Usha Mehta, Biju Patnaik and Sucheta Kripalani. Usha Mehta ran an underground radio station in Bombay.
Which groups kept away from the Quit India Movement?
The communists did not join, as they supported the British war after Germany attacked the Soviet Union. The Muslim League opposed it, fearing Hindu domination, the Hindu Mahasabha boycotted it, and the princely states responded in a low-key way.
How did the government repress the movement?
Though martial law was not applied, crowds were lathi-charged, tear-gassed and fired upon, and an estimated 10,000 were killed. The press was muzzled, the military took over many cities, villages were heavily fined, and mass flogging took place in many.
PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis
1 All top Congress leaders were arrested on 9 August 1942.
The Congress committees were declared unlawful.
2 Tamluk's Jatiya Sarkar functioned from December 1942 to September 1944.
It did cyclone relief work.
3 The communists actively joined the Quit India Movement.
They kept away and supported the British war.
4 Usha Mehta started an underground radio in Bombay.
The underground aimed to keep up morale.
5 Martial law was applied during the Quit India Movement.
Repression was severe but martial law was not applied.
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