Chapter FiveThe Last Phase (1935-1947)The August Offer – 1940
National Movement during World War II
v CRIPPS MISSION
ü We have seen that during the agitation against the Simon Commission, Motilal Nehru demanded for ‘Dominion Status’ from the British Government. However, Jinnah called it a ‘Parting ways’ with the Congress.
ü Perhaps Jinnah put forward his famous fourteen points and demanded for separate electorate.
ü As a result, the Muslim League continued to remained firm in their demand (partition). On the other hand the Congress offer of conditional cooperation was not accepted by the British Government.
ü In the middle of such situation in India, the International situation too became extremely critical. The Second World War is going on and Germany had occupied Poland, Belgium, Holland, Norway and France.
ü On the other hand, Japan too made a sudden attack at Pearl Harbor in USA and was successful in invading over many South East Asian Countries and were gradually marching towards Assam. In this, the War was brought to India’s doorstep.
ü The British Army was facing defeat after defeat. There were pressures on British from Russia, America and China against Japan’s attack.
ü The British Government was now in a desperate condition for the cooperation of the Indians in the War efforts.
ü Consequently, the government decided to send Sir Stafford Cripps, a member of a War Cabinet to India after the fall of Rangoon to the Japanese.
ü Therefore, Stafford Cripps came to India on 22nd March, 1942 and started discussions with the representatives of the Congress, the Muslim League, and the Hindu Mahasabha, the Harijans, the Native rulers and the Liberals.
v CRIPPS PROPOSAL
ü Cripps announced his proposal in the form of a draft Declaration on 30 March, 1942. The proposals were;
ü Dominion Status would be granted to India immediately after the war with the right to secede from the British Common Wealth.
ü Constitution-Making body would be set up immediately after the War with the representatives from British India as well as native states.
ü After having framed the constitution, it would be accepted by the British government on condition that any Indian province, if desired, could remain outside the Indian Union and negotiate directly with the British government.
ü The actual control of defense and military operations during the war period would be retained by the British government
v OUTCOME/RESULT OF THE CRIPPS PROPOSAL
ü The Cripps proposal/Declaration was rejected flatly by almost all the political parties.
ü The Congress wanted a responsible government with full control over the defense of the country and they did not rely on future promises. Gandhiji condemned the proposal as a ‘Postdated cheque on a crashing bank’.
ü The Muslim League too rejected the proposal as this did not ensure Pakistan and also there were no equal seats for the Muslim League with the Congress in the Interim Government.
ü Moreover, the Declaration had not recognized separate electorate in the constitution making body.
ü Similarly, the Sikhs, the Depressed classes, the Indian Christians and the Anglo-Indians demanded more safeguards for their communities.
ü Thus, Cripps Mission was a failure to a great extend as it failed to pacify the demands of the Indians. However, Cripps mission was significant and remarkable for the Indians as the British Government agreed that Indians should frame their own Constitution through Cripps mission for the first time.
v QUIT INDIA RESOLUTION/AUGUST MOVEMENT OF 1942
ü The failure of the Cripps’s mission ushered in a period of acute political instability in the country. It became clear that the British government was not willing to transfer power to the Indian people.
ü Gandhiji now wanted all out attempt to compel the British authority to withdraw from India. His view was that “the presence of the British in India is an invitation to Japan to invade India”.
ü So, all the Congress leaders agreed except Raja Gopal Acharya accepted Gandhiji’s view. After a long discussion, on 14th July, the Congress Working Committee adopted the Quit India Resolution which was to be satisfied at the Bombay All India Congress Committee (A.I.C.C).
ü Thus on 8th August, 1942, the A.I.C.C passed the Quit India Resolution
a) Urging the end of British domination and
b) Immediate Independence of India, the A.I.C.C observed, ‘No future promise or guarantee can affect the present situation or meet the peril’.
ü The historic Quit India resolution at Bombay was followed by Gandhiji’s memorable utterance: “I am not going to be satisfied with any short of complete freedom. We shall do or die. We shall either free India or die in the attempt”.
ü The Congress gave the call for driving out British but did not give any specific and concrete direction or line of action to be followed.
v BRITISH ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE RESOLUTION
ü The British government on the other hand viewed any such idea as rebellion and the Viceroy took a stern attitude towards this Quit India resolution. Therefore, before the Congress could start the movement, early in the morning of 9th August, Gandhiji and all the leading congress leaders like Nehru, Azad were put under arrest. The Congress was also declared illegal by the authority.
v REACTION OF THE INDIAN PEOPLE
ü The news of the arrest of Gandhiji and all other leaders spread like wild fire all over the country. Serious disorder broke out in different parts of the country.
- There were hartals, demonstrations and processions all over the country, as all the leaders were behind the bars.
- The young and students took charge as leaders at local levels.
ü At the initial stage, the movement was non-violence. But the repression of the authority provoked the people to be violent. The people now devised their own methods for the struggle.
ü There were widespread cutting of telephone and telegraph wires, damaging of railways, roadways, attacking on government buildings and police stations. Apart from these, all forms of violence acts were used to violate the British rule.
ü Similarly, the Congress Socialists Group also played an important role under the leadership of Jaya Prakash, Rammanohar, Asaf Ali, etc. however, the Muslim League denounced the Quit India Movement Resolution and naturally refused to participate in the movement.
ü The Communist party too condemned the movement as it would weakened the British authority in their struggle against Fascism.
ü Likewise, the Hindu Mahasabha also condemned the movement and did not take part in it.
v VIOLENT PUBLIC MOVEMENT
ü Even in the absence of their Congress leaders, the mass continued their agitations against the British government and it gradually became very violent.
ü There were mass upheaval and disorders in almost every part of the country and these took a serious turn at Midnapur and the Eastern part of the United Provinces.
ü Hence, in many places, the administration ceased to exit and the revolutionaries ran the government.
ü The Quit India Movement got a massive response from the people of Bombay, Bihar, Gujarat and many other places.
ü The working class people went on strikes in many industrial towns. Similarly, under the leadership of Jaya Prakash Nayaran and Ramnanda Mishra who managed to escape from prison started underground revolutionary activities. The most daring act was the establishment of the Congress radio by Revolutionists.
v REPRESSIVE POLICY ADOPTED BY THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT
ü At the same time, the government also mobilized all its repressive measures to suppress this movement. The government adopted the common repressions like arrests, detentions, flogging, firing and punitive fines. The press was completely muzzled (prevented from expressing their opinion)
1. Thousands of people were killed and arrested and many more wounded. In Midnapore, the government forces burnt 31 Congress camps and 164 private houses.
2. The government even used aero planes to gun down demonstrators at least in 5 places at Bihar, Orissa and Bengal
3. They also collected punitive fines from the residents of the areas affected by the movement.
§ Hence the government put down the disturbances with exceptional ferocity. Gandhiji at the age of 73 undertook a fast for three weeks as a protest against government atrocities.
v CHARACTER OF THE MOVEMENT
ü The Quit India or August Movement was a real mass movement in all aspects. Though the Muslims, Communists and some other organizations did not participate in this historic movement, people of all walks of life took part in it. The historic movement was launched with four phases;
§ PHASE I
ü In the first phase, the movement started in urban areas followed by hartals, processions, demonstrations, strikes in the colleges, schools and offices. The working class in many industrial centers also went on strikes.
§ PHASE II
ü In the second phase, the lead was given by the rural people. The people attacked the government buildings like post office, police stations and tried to set them on fire. They cut the telegraph and telephone lines and established a temporary government in Uttar Pradsh, Bengal and Orissa.
§ PHASE III
ü In the third phase, the movement was controlled by the revolutionary leaders. Underground revolutionary activities started. E.g. Jaya Prakash Nayaran and Ramanda Mishra who organized underground movement had great effect on Quit India Movement.
§ PHASE IV
ü In the final phase, the movement continued up to May, 1944 at a very slow pace when Gandhiji was released from jail. Gradually, this historical movement of the Indian people came to an end.
v IMPACTS/IMPORTANCES OF THE MOVEMENT
It demonstrated the depth of the National feelings.
ü In this movement, people from all walks of life took part. It was like a mass revolt in which the Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and Christians took part. Even the students, teachers, lawyers, workers, peasants and even women took part in the processions and demonstrations against the government.
It made the English realize that their days were numbered in India
ü The British Government was alarmed by the great capacity of the people for struggle and sacrifice. Though, the British government brutally used their different methods of oppressions and suppressions, mass showed an exemplary courage and sacrifices and made the British realize that they could never think of ruling the country against their wishes.
Indian clearly revealed the strong determination to do away with the British rule
ü The English had never faced such an opposition before. Thus, the decision of the British government in 1945 to try for a negotiated settlement of the transfer of power was the outcome of the Quit India Movement.
The movement also created a strong public opinion in foreign countries in favor of India
ü America and China were specially influenced by the tide of revolution. The American President Roosevelt wrote to the Chinese Prime Minister that the best policy for the English would be to grant independence to the people of India as soon as possible.
v CAUSES OF THE FAILURE OF THE MOVEMENT
Though, Quit India Movement was very remarkable, but it failed due to the following reasons;
ABSENCE OF TRUE LEADERSHIP
ü In the absence of Gandhi and all other Congress leaders, the movement came under the control of the local leaders who were not always followers of true Gandhian ideas.
ü The kind of movement organized by them was not fully centralized and not well coordinated to guide the movement. As a result, the movement gradually scattered and lose its force.
LACK OF COORDINATION
ü There was lack of extensive preparation for the success of this movement. The leaders of the movement should have decided their plan of action before the government had arrested them.
REMAINED LOYALTY TO BRITISH GOVERNMENT
ü The rulers of the native states, army, police and high government officials remained faithful to the British government. The work of the government continued unharmed.
ü The movement did not evoke much response from the merchant community because capitalists and the merchants had profited heavily during the war period. Similarly, the Muslim League, Hindu Mahasabha and the Communist party remained themselves aloof from the movement.
REPRESSIVE POLICY OF THE BRITISH
ü The most important reason for the failure of the movement was the repression of the British authority. The government had adopted all methods of repression like arrests, detention, firing, burning, flogging, etc. moreover, the government also mobilized the Allied forces to suppress the revolt. They also used aero planes to gun down the demonstrator.
PRESS CENSORSHIP
ü The British government also took advantage of the war time press censorship to suppress the movement. The government did not bother to look into the criticism made to the Indians by the English.
ü The Allied powers were busy fighting against the Axis power and obviously they had no mind to think what the British were doing in India.
SUBASH CHANDRA BOSEAND HIS CONTRIBUTIONS IN THE FREEDOM STRUGGLE (INA)
ü Right after the end of Quit India movement, the movement was made outside India by the Indians living abroad under the leadership of Subhas Chandra Bose
ü Subhas Chandra Bose was not happy with Gandhiji regarding the national movement and went to Berlin to seek the German help but Germans were not interested and thus, he went to Japan
ü In June, 1943, he met Rash Behari Bose who has already organized Indian National Army in Japan since 1915 and he was invited to lead the INA
ü After amazing sea journey and danger, he reached to Singapore where he was handed over the leadership of Azad Hind Fauj/Indian National Army/INA and thus, he was known as the Netaji, the Supreme Leader of the INA
ü The Netaji gave a call “Jai Hind” and “Delhi Chalo” and he declared “Tum Mujhe Khoon Do, mein Tumhe Azadi Dunga” (you give me blood, I will give you freedom)
ü The INA and the Japanese forces crossed the Indian border on 18 March, 1944 and the tri-color Indian National flag was hoisted in Kohima
ü But they were defeated by the British counter attack and the Netaji died in an air crash on his way to Tokyo
ACHIEVEMENTS OF INA
§ Set an inspiring example of patriotism
§ Motivated other revolt like Indian Navy at Bombay
§ The king was about to be assassinated
MOUNTBATTEN PLAN
Mountbatten came to Indian in March, 1947 as a new Viceroy and thus, he started negotiating with the congress and Muslim League regarding the transfer of power He proposed the following points which came to be known as Mountbatten Plan:
ü India would be divided and a new state of Pakistan would be created
ü Pakistan would be formed with the Muslim majority provinces of Sind, Baluchistan, NWFP, West Punjab and East Bengal
ü Rest of the British India would form India
ü A Boundary Commission would form to demarcate the boundary line between Pakistan and India
ü Opinion poll would decide whether NWFP and Sylhet should join Pakistan or India
ü The princely states have the option of joining Pakistan or India
ü The Legislative Assembly of Sind will decide whether to join India or Pakistan
ü The transfer of power would take place even before the fixed date of 30th June, 1948 (20 February,1947)
This plan was reluctantly accepted by all the parties and with this, British agreed to leave India by 15 August, 1947 The Indian Independence Bill/Act brought the division of country as India and PakistanPartition and independence
ü On 14th August, 1947, the Boundary Commission under the British lawyer Radcliffe started marking the boundary lines between Pakistan and India
ü However, Muslims regretted for the loss of Gurdaspur, Murshidabad and Calcutta and similarly, Hindus for the loss of Lahore, Canal Colonies, Khulna and Chittagong Hill Tracts
Why did the Congress leaders accept the Mountbatten Plan of India?
ü The congress leaders felt that the partition was a lesser evil than a civil war
ü To avoid bloodshed and civil wars
ü They felt that it’s better to give up a small patch of land than not getting freedom
ü To have a peace and harmony in the country
ü They felt that after partition, India would become secular state
ü A smaller India with a strong central authority was better than a bigger state with problems and weak centre
Modern History Sourcebook: Jawaharlal Nehru (1889-1964):
Speech On the Granting of Indian Independence, August 14, 1947
Long years ago we made a tryst with destiny, and now the time comes when we shall redeem our pledge, not wholly or in full measure, but very substantially. At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom. A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends, and when the soul of a nation, long supressed, finds utterance. It is fitting that at this solemn moment we take the pledge of dedication to the service of India and her people and to the still larger cause of humanity.
At the dawn of history India started on her unending quest, and trackless centuries are filled with her striving and the grandeur of her success and her failures. Through good and ill fortune alike she has never lost sight of that quest or forgotten the ideals which gave her strength. We end today a period of ill fortune and India discovers herself again. The achievement we celebrate today is but a step, an opening of opportunity, to the greater triumphs and achievements that await us. Are we brave enough and wise enough to grasp this opportunity and accept the challenge of the future?
Freedom and power bring responsibility. The responsibility rests upon this Assembly, a sovereign body representing the sovereign people of India. Before the birth of freedom we have endured all the pains of labour and our hearts are heavy with the memory of this sorrow. Some of those pains continue even now. Nevertheless, the past is over and it is the future that beckons to us now.
That future is not one of ease or resting but of incessant striving so that we may fulfil the pledges we have so often taken and the one we shall take today. The service of India means the service of the millions who suffer. It means the ending of poverty and ignorance and disease and inequality of opportunity. The ambition of the greatest man of our generation has been to wipe every tear from every eye. That may be beyond us, but as long as there are tears and suffering, so long our work will not be over.
And so we have to labour and to work, and work hard, to give reality to our dreams. Those dreams are for India, but they are also for the world, for all the nations and peoples are too closely knit together today for any one of them to imagine that it can live apart Peace has been said to be indivisible; so is freedom, so is prosperity now, and so also is disaster in this One World that can no longer be split into isolated fragments.
To the people of India, whose representatives we are, we make an appeal to join us with faith and confidence in this great adventure. This is no time for petty and destructive criticism, no time for ill-will or blaming others. We have to build the noble mansion of free India where all her children may dwell.
The appointed day has come-the day appointed by destiny-and India stands forth again, after long slumber and struggle, awake, vital, free and independent. The past clings on to us still in some measure and we have to do much before we redeem the pledges we have so often taken. Yet the turning-point is past, and history begins anew for us, the history which we shall live and act and others will write about.
It is a fateful moment for us in India, for all Asia and for the world. A new star rises, the star of freedom in the East, a new hope comes into being, a vision long cherished materializes. May the star never set and that hope never be betrayed!
We rejoice in that freedom, even though clouds surround us, and many of our people are sorrow stricken and difficult problems encompass us. But freedom brings responsibilities and burdens and we have to face them in the spirit of a free and disciplined people.
On this day our first thoughts go to the architect of this freedom, the Father of our Nation [Gandhi], who, embodying the old spirit of India, held aloft the torch of freedom and lighted up the darkness that surrounded us. We have often been unworthy followers of his and have strayed from his message, but not only we but succeeding generations will remember this message and bear the imprint in their hearts of this great son of India, magnificent in his faith and strength and courage and humility. We shall never allow that torch of freedom to be blown out, however high the wind or stormy the tempest.
Our next thoughts must be of the unknown volunteers and soldiers of freedom who, without praise or reward, have served India even unto death.
We think also of our brothers and sisters who have been cut off from us by political boundaries and who unhappily cannot share at present in the freedom that has come. They are of us and will remain of us whatever may happen, and we shall be sharers in their good [or] ill fortune alike.
The future beckons to us. Whither do we go and what shall be our endeavour? To bring freedom and opportunity to the common man, to the peasants and workers of India; to fight and end poverty and ignorance and disease; to build up a prosperous, democratic and progressive nation, and to create social, economic and political institutions which will ensure justice and fullness of life to every man and woman.
We have hard work ahead. There is no resting for any one of us till we redeem our pledge in full, till we make all the people of India what destiny intended them to be. We are citizens of a great country on the verge of bold advance, and we have to live up to that high standard. All of us, to whatever religion we may belong, are equally the children of India with equal rights, privileges and obligations. We cannot encourage communalism or narrow-mindedness, for no nation can be great whose people are narrow in thought or in action.
To the nations and peoples of the world we send greetings and pledge ourselves to cooperate with them in furthering peace, freedom and democracy.
And to India, our much-loved motherland, the ancient, the eternal and the ever-new, we pay our reverent homage and we find ourselves afresh to her service.
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