World War II and Quit India
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Jawaharlal Nehru sitting next to Gandhi at the AICC General Session, 1942 |
World War II broke out in 1939 when Nazi Germany invaded Poland.
Initially, Gandhi favoured offering "non-violent moral support" to the British
effort, but other Congressional leaders were offended by the unilateral
inclusion of India in the war, without consultation of the people's
representatives. All Congressmen resigned from office.
After long deliberations, Gandhi declared that India could not be party to a war ostensibly being fought for democratic freedom, while that freedom was denied to India itself. As the war progressed, Gandhi intensified his demand for independence, drafting a resolution calling for the British to Quit India.
This was Gandhi's and the Congress Party's most definitive revolt aimed at securing the British exit from India.
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"I want world sympathy in this battle of right against might" –Dandi 5 April 1930 |
Gandhi was criticised by some Congress party members and other Indian
political groups, both pro-British and anti-British. Some felt that not
supporting Britain more in its struggle against Nazi Germany was unethical.
Others felt that Gandhi's refusal for India to participate in the war was
insufficient and more direct opposition should be taken, while Britain
fought against Nazism yet continued to contradict itself by refusing to grant
India Independence.
Quit India became the most forceful movement in the history of the struggle, with mass arrests and violence on an unprecedented scale.
Gandhi and his supporters made it clear they would not support the war effort unless India were granted immediate independence.
He even clarified that this time the movement would not be stopped if individual acts of violence were committed, saying that the "ordered anarchy" around him was "worse than real anarchy." He called on all Congressmen and Indians to maintain discipline via ahimsa, and Karo Ya Maro ("Do or Die") in the cause of ultimate freedom.
Although the Quit India movement had moderate success in its objective, the ruthless suppression of the movement brought order to India by the end of 1943. At the end of the war, the British gave clear indications that power would be transferred to Indian hands. At this point Gandhi called off the struggle, and around 100,000 political prisoners were released, including the Congress's leadership.
